A series of 2-alkoxy- and 2-aryloxy-tetrahydropyrans has been hydrogenolyzed in ether by LiAlH4–AlCl3. As the alkyl group attached to theexooxygen atom is changed from primary to tertiary, the proportion of ring cleavage to side-chain cleavage increases. Only side-chain cleavage occurs with the 2-aryloxytetrahydropyrans. The results are explained in terms of the polar properties of the alkyl or aryl group attached to the ring oxygen or the side-chain oxygen. Any control by steric factors is considered to be submerged by the polar effects, but does have a clearly apparent directive effect when the polar factors are equal for the two routes of cleavage. The results of the hydrogenolysis of 6-substituted 2-alkoxytetrahydropyrans could be explained on the same basis.The configurations of thecisandtransisomers of the disubstituted tetrahydropyrans were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Their conformational preference is discussed.