# Pronouncing "Betta"



## megrose (Oct 12, 2016)

The other day, someone told me I'm pronouncing the word "betta" wrong! I've always said (and heard) it like BAY-ta. They said the correct pronunciation is BET-ta, like as in placing a "bet". Personally I figure it's no big deal, like lots of other words are pronounced differently, but this person seems to think pronouncing it like me is worse than murder, lol. I'm wondering now what the more popular pronunciation is. How do you pronounce it?


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## seemsligit (Nov 24, 2016)

it's an american accent thing. a lot of people who are serious about bettas can be a little... elitist... (i guess sorta like grammar Nazis who feel the need to correct things like the proper word for banana peppers, when there's like 3 words for it) I would just keep saying it however is natural to you. 

most people who get so uptight about it I find are doing it to sorta 'one up' or prove that they somehow know more or are better then you are at something. sorta like people who say if you can't pronounce a word properly you must be dumb, when obviously that isn't the case.


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## moodynarwhal (Mar 24, 2016)

I've always said BAYta. It might just be me, but like the way it sounds better than BETta


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

According to Merriam-Webster, it is "Bet-ta." You can listen to the pronounciation in this link. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betta

"Bay-ta" is the Greek letter and spelled "Beta." Reminding people who own them that the correct pronounciation is "Bet-ta" is the same as letting people who own them know that Samoyed is prounounced "Sam-a-YED" with the accent on the last syllable* and not "Sa-moi-ed." IMO, if you own it then know how to say the name correctly. Of course, the Samoyed people have fixed their problem: They call their dogs "Sammies."

Now the kicker: All the above being said, I'm terribly inconsistent in how I pronounce Betta. :dunno:

*From The Samoyed Club of America web site.


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## haley3k1 (Dec 20, 2015)

I've always said bay-tuh but the correct way is bet-uh. Dunno why it became a thing to pronounce it the wrong way lol. We pronounce better or betting with a short "e" sound but not betta. Reminds me of something I read once. http://www.tickld.com/x/english-isnt-as-easy-as-you-think


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## seemsligit (Nov 24, 2016)

well i know up north where most of my family lived if you said 'bet-uh' they would think you were saying 'better'. accents are just a thing, like creek and 'crick'. though how some of the odder word accent things happens would be interesting to know.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

I always say . . . "Who cares!" . . . Just pronounce it the way you want. As long as your audience understands what you mean, I see no problem in pronunciation. God knows we Asians pronounce foreign words awkwardly. I knew this guy who pronounced "tastes" as "testes" . . . . It was kind of fatal - might cause embarrassment in formal environments, so I corrected him. Otherwise, I'd let them be.


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## AuntyAmber (Oct 13, 2016)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> According to Merriam-Webster, it is "Bet-ta." You can listen to the pronounciation in this link. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betta
> 
> "Bay-ta" is the Greek letter and spelled "Beta." Reminding people who own them that the correct pronounciation is "Bet-ta" is the same as letting people who own them know that Samoyed is prounounced "Sam-a-YED" with the accent on the last syllable* and not "Sa-moi-ed." IMO, if you own it then know how to say the name correctly. Of course, the Samoyed people have fixed their problem: They call their dogs "Sammies."
> 
> ...


Aaaaaaannnndddd to further complicate things, here in England we pronounce the greek letter beta as "Bee-ta". Ahh, the English language, don't you just love it?!



seemsligit said:


> well i know up north where most of my family lived if you said 'bet-uh' they would think you were saying 'better'. accents are just a thing, like creek and 'crick'. though how some of the odder word accent things happens would be interesting to know.


I had a problem with that a couple of days ago. I was commenting on my guy *finally* starting to re-grow his tail, and I said "He is starting to look much better now, like a proper betta. A better betta!" Welp, that was a tongue twister, and a mind bender for my mum!


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## Chocobobetta (Jan 24, 2017)

Bayta sounds better, so that's how I say it.


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## bettafishbowies (Jan 24, 2017)

It's "bate Ah".


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Fanatic said:


> There's really no correct way, I always said Bay - Ta
> 
> Although, many people I know say Bet - Ta


Actually, there *is* a correct way as explained earlier. "Bay-Tah" is the Greek letter Beta (one "t"); "Bet-Tah" (two Ts) is the name of the fish.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Fanatic said:


> I actually meant, but forgot to reference it.
> 
> I meant there isn't a correct way depending on the person's preferred accent way to say the word.


I'm sorry, but as noted in _Merriam-Webste_r and other dictionaries, accent or not there is only one way to pronounce Betta correctly. And as I said last month I'm terribly inconsistent in how I pronounce it.  And in the scheme of things as long as people understand to what one refers it really doesn't matter.


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## CollegeBettas (Feb 23, 2016)

I say Bay-tah. I had never heard of the other way until watching YouTube videos and thought they were saying it funny. Bet-ah makes is sound more British. Maybe Bay-tah is a southern thing?
I always get fun of by my friends for the way I say Crayons (Crans) and Milk (Melk). I get an interesting mix of Northern and Texan at home. My choir director is from Minnesota and there are certain things I say in a Minnesotian accent now.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

CollegeBettas said:


> I say Bay-tah. I had never heard of the other way until watching YouTube videos and thought they were saying it funny. Bet-ah makes is sound more British. Maybe Bay-tah is a southern thing?
> I always get fun of by my friends for the way I say Crayons (Crans) and Milk (Melk). I get an interesting mix of Northern and Texan at home. My choir director is from Minnesota and there are certain things I say in a Minnesotian accent now.


Bet you've heard of a "milch" cow, too.


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