# What's your reaction?



## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

What do do or think or do when you hear someone say betta pronounced bay-ta? I'll say I get frustrated with their ingrnorace and stipidity, I mean if it was bay-ta it would be spelled beta. Seriously!


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Actually, that's how I pronounce it. I can't say bet-tuh because it sounds like I'm saying better but with an accent. :lol:


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Oh, I see


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## HayrideHaunter (Dec 20, 2010)

@Bloo: same here o.o...i dont know if its so much ignorance as just a different way of saying it...might depend on where people are from and such...


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Probably. I was in Florida when I got my first fish.


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## elijahfeathers (Oct 15, 2010)

Honestly when I got mine I thought they were 'bay-ta's. It wasn't until I read online that the pronunciation was wrong did I even have any clue. Even at most pet stores they look a little confused if I ask for bettas, ect. xD


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I pronouce it bay-ta, but spell (type) it betta. It just sticks in my head betta than saying it the normal way. XD see? I wouldnt get frustrated if someone said it the same way I do...


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

I say "Bay-ta". Pronouncing the other way just sounds strange, even if it *is* correct. If you say you want a "Betta" fish, someone might just think there was something wrong with the one you had before. lol


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## xswornxoffxjello (Mar 18, 2010)

I've always said "bay-tuh". I spell it "betta" however. I don't think it's so much a right/wrong thing, no matter what people say about "bet-ta" being "correct" because that's how it's in the dictionary. It's regional, just like an accent, in my opinion.


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## Crazykat (Nov 23, 2010)

Bet-uh is correct, but I don't feel like getting angry or frustrated when I hear it pronounced otherwise. People aren't being malicious, they just don't know the right way to pronounce it. I correct them if it's appropriate to the situation and move on. Knowledge is a gift you can give other people. ;-)


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

I say "bay-ta" and uhhh, I don't care if it's correct or not. Call me ignorant.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

+1 Angelic.


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## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

shamefull enough i pronunce it bee-tah and my partner snaps at me everytime. i do it with out thinking. i ACTUALLY have to stop and THINK before i say it to get it correctly


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## Shizuka Mori (Jan 15, 2011)

It's their choice on how to actually pronounce betta. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer on how to say the word because people are taught that it's pronounced bay-ta and there are some who are taught to pronounce it bet-ta. To me bay-ta is the common way of saying betta and bet-ta is the more formal/scientific way of saying it.


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

^^Agreed.

Never in my life have I heard a person say bet-ta (I'm not saying that that isn't the correct pronunciation). Everyone, and I mean everyone around here says bay-tuh, and if I ever ask a pet-store employee if they have any specific type of "bet-ta" they give me funny looks.


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## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

(oh oh oh i love ur dp Bettaslave) LMAO


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I wouldn't correct them or get frustrated, some people say things different, and bet-ta and bay-ta both make sense to me, as long as I understand what someone's talking about I could care less how they're pronouncing it.It's kind of like the way people pronounce tomato differently, I would probably never correct anyone on that either, I get what they mean. haha


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

So sorry if I offended anyone. I would change the poll if I could, but I can't. Again sorry.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Naw its fine, it's a kinda interesting thread


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I wasn't offended, I apologize if I sounded snappy. My mom actually pronouces betta as bay-ta, I always pronouced it bet-ta, for a long time I just figured I was the one saying it wrong! :lol: After awhile I just decided there was no right or wrong...kept me from going crazy! :lol:


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

Littlebittyfish said:


> I wouldn't correct them or get frustrated, *some people say things different, and bet-ta and bay-ta both make sense to me, as long as I understand what someone's talking about I could care less how they're pronouncing *it.It's kind of like the way people pronounce tomato differently, I would probably never correct anyone on that either, I get what they mean. haha


Well said.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i'm way country, so even saying it "bet-tuh" comes out as "Bey-tuh". >.>;


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

I say Bay-tuh...


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

saying Bay-tuh or bet-tah doesn't really matter to me. I pronounce it bay-tuh, but IMO it's like saying tomatoe or tohm-atoe. Bet-tah may be the correct way to say it, but I prefer bay-tah as incorrect as it is, seeing as bet-tah sounds stupid when people actually say it... sort of like when people say " I dived off the bridge yesterday." sure, dived is the correct past tense of dive, but dove sounds better and more intelligent that dived, hence why you'll hear that more coming from people, even though it's incorrect.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I have cousins that say stuff like "them beans ain't no good". That is not correct English. 
Bay-tuh or bet-tuh, it doesn't bother me. I do say bet-tuh, though.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I love Regina .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zA4oG4FJFY


Would you feel betta betta betta!?

:lol: ;-)


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

o3o *is country enough to say "them beans"* xD

i though dove WAS the past tense of dive. o.0


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## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

i hate it when people contantly nitpick the way i say things but thats just my opinion


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## Shizuka Mori (Jan 15, 2011)

I find it to be rude to suddenly correct someone out of nowhere. As I said though in my mind bay-ta is the informal/common way of saying betta and bet-ta is the formal/scientific way of saying betta. Basically to me there's no right or wrong answer.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I love when people talk like "them beans"! It's so adorable x3


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

I can't believe it! I thought betta was pronounced "bay-ta"! It wasn't until 5 minutes ago that I learned the truth (thanks to this thread).:shock:

I looked betta up on dictionary.com, and it said that the betta was pronounced bet-ta. The description was fighter fish, so it knew what it was talking about.


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## BettaHeart (Jan 2, 2011)

:crazy: im ignorant just becuz i say bay-ta ha! ok atleast i dont catergorize others becuz everyone is as different as the betta fishes we collect :cheers:


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

bettafish15 said:


> I love when people talk like "them beans"! It's so adorable x3



then you'd adore hearing me talk. :d i've been called a "southern belle"! xD i get real "country" randomly. >.>; i hear it myself when it happens. xD

everyone i know says "bay-tuh". maybe it's just us southerners? :d


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

No, everyone I know says "bay-ta", and I'm from Minnesota. Not a southern thing at all.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

lol i was kidding. :d i think it's just the common way to say it.


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

I called them Bet-uhs from the start. I never even considered bay-tuh because I saw bet-ta and thought, that name really suits that fish, betta! Then I heard the other way... and I got confused, but still said bet-tuh.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Hearing it pronounced bay-ta has always been a pet peeve of mine, too. I've always pronounced it bet-tuh, and bay-ta is really hard to pronounce anyway...

But I don't freak out over it. It's just one of those tomato/tomatoe things. I just ignore it and move on.


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## HayrideHaunter (Dec 20, 2010)

+1! I hear both ways...neither one bothers me though


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

small fry said:


> I can't believe it! I thought betta was pronounced "bay-ta"! It wasn't until 5 minutes ago that I learned the truth (thanks to this thread).:shock:
> 
> I looked betta up on dictionary.com, and it said that the betta was pronounced bet-ta. The description was fighter fish, so it knew what it was talking about.


 Glad to help! When I came on here in september there was a thread with a poll asking how you pronounce it, and a majority of the people here said bet-ta. But with all you newbies here I guess the balance shifted.

Again, I'm very sorry if I offended anyone with this thread.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

We know you didn't mean to offend anyone, Fishman. No worries!


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Haku Namatata! (Corny Refrence)


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## DazzleKitty (Nov 9, 2010)

I've been pronouncing it the wrong way and didn't even know it.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

DazzleKitty said:


> I've been pronouncing it the wrong way and didn't even know it.


IMO, there _isn't_ a wrong way to say it  Say it however you want! Unless it's something really funky like bee-tah or bah-tah or something XD Haha!


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## toledoll (Dec 30, 2010)

Well I feel stupid now. >.<


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## Alanza (Jan 17, 2011)

To me bay-ta is the informal/common way of saying betta and bet-ta is the formal/scientific way of saying betta. Unless you say betta in a way that's stupid like bee-ta or ba-ta like mentioned before I will not correct you.


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## bettamaniac (Jan 6, 2011)

I have know that it is pronounce bet-tuh but I still pronounce it bay-tuh just for the heck of it and that's how I learned to say it


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Im from NY, almost in Canada, so i say almost "Bay-duh" lololol XD DERP!


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## betta fish crazy (Jul 9, 2010)

My Grandparents call and ask, "How are your bay-tuh fish, today?"
I don't want to yell at them!


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## tsoto80 (Nov 26, 2010)

people in my town pronounce it as bay-tah I thought it was suppose to be pronounced that way. I dont see a need to snub your nose at someone cause of a wrongPronunciation. My mother-in-law does it to me all the time and her IQ is lower than mine. Some words like pomegranate and toilet is amusing to hear a southerner pronounce, but I always hide my smile (well I try) lol


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

PewPewPew said:


> Im from NY, almost in Canada, so i say almost "Bay-duh" lololol XD DERP!


O: Are you making fun of a canadian accent? (Do we have accents? >.<) Haha, I kid.


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Mo Buddah Mo Bettah


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## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Lol Pete.


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## Dontpanic (Oct 17, 2010)

I've always just pronounced it bet-tah. xD I haven't ever really thought about which way to say it, but half of the people I know say bet-tah!


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

I've never heard anyone say bet-uh except on this forum. Everyone in my area says bay-tuh, so that's how I learned it, and I kind of like the sound better than bet-uh so it's hard to correct myself... >..>

Then again, I mispronounce tons of words because I learn things by reading instead of by hearing other people say the word. Derp


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