u and y: North and South

U and Y in North and South Wales

Level 1

The letters u and clear y sound different in North and South Wales. In the South they sound like i; in the North they use a vowel made further back in the mouth.

How It Works

Which letters? The letter u anywhere in a word: un (one), du (black), the end of Cymru and of verb-nouns like dysgu (to learn). And y when it is the clear sound, in the last or only syllable: dyn (man), tŷ (house). The "uh" sound of y in earlier syllables is the same everywhere; see W and Y as vowels.

South: most speakers say these just like i. Tŷ sounds like "tee", un like "een" and Cymru like "KUM-ree".

North: many speakers use a different vowel. Try it: say "ee", then pull your tongue back a little without rounding your lips. That is the Northern sound in tŷ, un and dyn. So in the North, tŷ (house) and ti (you) sound different; in the South they sound almost the same.

Both ways are standard Welsh, heard on radio and television every day. You do not need to switch; just get used to hearing both. For other regional differences, see North and South Welsh.

Examples (5)

  1. Mae'r tŷ yn fawr.

    The house is big.

    South: tŷ sounds like "tee". North: the vowel is made further back in the mouth.

  2. Un, dau, tri!

    One, two, three!

    The u in un has the regional sound.

  3. Mae'r dyn yn hapus.

    The man is happy.

    Dyn has one syllable, so its y is the clear, regional sound.

  4. Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg.

    I'm learning Welsh.

    The final u in dysgu has the regional sound; the y in dysgu is "uh" everywhere.

  5. Mae'r car yn ddu.

    The car is black.

    The u in ddu (du after yn) has the regional sound.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

u and y: North and SouthLevel 1U and Y in North and South Wales

Learn This First

Regional u and y pronunciation builds on y as a vowel and on the North/South distinction.