POOT-yin/POOCH-in

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 8/7/2000 10:09:08 AM, stevek at SHORE.NET writes:

<< Actually, when I researched his name, I found that it's closer to
POOT-yhn and is definitely not poo-TEEN. I checked with Russian sources,
our etymologist checked with a bigtime Russian acadmeic, and I sat myself
down and watched a newscast on Vremya to verify this.


--- Steve K. >>

Thanks for the clarification--so it isn't a syllabification thing, it is a
phonemic-sequence thing. But why don't Americans say POOT-yin or POOCH-in?