Say My Name Say My Name!

Some people think my name is hard to pronounce.   Actually, it's just hard to spell -- and that only if you don't speak Dutch.

The "long I" is a Dutch letter which can be written either as "ij" or as "ÿ" though the latter is usually used only in handwriting or in signs.   Although "ij" and "ÿ" don't seem terribly similar at first, when they're written by hand the similarity is much more apparent.  For example:

The left is written "Thijs" and the right is written "Thÿs" but they're both the same word.

The long I is pronounced as, well, an "I" sound but longer.   If you say "Tyce" you'll be close enough (though Native Dutch speakers might look at you funny). 

It's actually hard for English speakers (including us) to pronounce the IJ perfectly, but you can click here to hear how "Thijs Nicolaas" is supposed to sound.