# Pronouncing "Betta"



## mfskarphedin (May 19, 2010)

I just came across this in a 2004 thread on another site:



> The scientific name of the Genus Betta was taken from a word in the local language with the phonetic spelling bettah. Correct pronunciation,"Bet-tuh"


I've always pronounced it "Bay-ta." Everyone I've ever heard say it pronounced it that way as well. What's the right way?

BTW, I'll always say it the way I do now, because people will think I'm an idiot...


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

It is pronounced "Bet-tuh".. as in you "betta believe it" or "you betta recognize!" LOL

I was used to saying it as "bay tuh" so now I usually pronounce it as a mixture of the bad pronunciation and the actual.. it sounds funny but it works


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## XrAdEr (May 12, 2010)

bet - tah


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

Wierd. I say Bay-tah, and that's how everyone I know says it. I get wierd looks if I say "Bet-tuh" at a pet store.


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

I say Bay-tah and most of the people I know say Bay-tah,but I'm trying to get myself to say Bet-tuh,but it sounds odd to me.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Yeah but you also sound like you know what your talking about 

I don't really mind when people pronounce it wrong. What irks me is when people spell it "beta".. that is a greek letter.. not a fish.


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## tumtum (May 10, 2010)

I have always said bay-tah


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

I know, 1f2f, that just annoys me. >.<


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

Me too,It's betta not beta!!!!!


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

I know it's pronounced "bet-tuh" which is how I pronounce it in my head... but when I talk, I say "bay-tuh" as that's what it's ALWAYS called around here. I've never, ever heard someone say it differently. To me, it's just another word that can be said multiple ways, like po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Getting mad about the "wrong" pronunciation won't change the fact that almost everyone says it "wrong". 



But spelling it wrong is inexcusable xDD


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

LOL.. just don't say it the wrong way at a show.. you wanna talk about weird looks!


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

XDD It's the same at a reptile expo, so I understand. It's pretty hard knowing how to say "amelanistic", "anerythristic" "leucistic" "ultamelanistic" and so on XD Many different pronunciations. It could be "Ay-mel" "Ahm-el" "Ay-nery" "Ahn-ery" and so on and on and on xD Crazyness.
It's just when you're raised a certain way, it's pretty hard to break it D:


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## shiney mew (May 30, 2010)

I always thought "bay-ta" was the right way, and just recently had to "correct" my brother, in fact. XD


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