# How do you say Betta?!!!



## Pufferfish22 (Feb 6, 2011)

Can some one help me out here, how do you say this fish's name!! Is it said Bet-ta or Beat-a? :lol:


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## kholder (Dec 2, 2010)

I say "Bay-ta". Proper? IDK.


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

like bed-tah 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/betta 

click on the little microphone thing and u can hear it


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/betta
Bet-uh. It also really irritates me when people say BAY-ta. Bet-uh sounds like the fish is more serene. I don't know if it's just me, though. But the correct pronunciation is Bet-uh.


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

I think the bay-ta pronunciation comes from the similar word 'beta' -- with just one "T". That *is* pronounced "bay-ta" and is where the confusion comes from.


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## GunsABlazin (Jun 1, 2011)

tomato-tomato?
To-MAY-to or To-MA-to.
its all dependent on the personal preference.


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

I work in a store that sells fish and I say the proper Bet-uh. When I call them this to customers you would not believe how many people try to correct me to Bay-ta... lol


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## styggian (Dec 13, 2011)

I say "bet-uh". "Bay-tah" is from the word beta, which is completely different. 

What really drives me bonkers is people who pluralize with an apostrophe. Apostrophes signify possession, not plural, except in specific cases. You can have a betta's bowl, two bettas in two bowls, even two bettas' bowls, but not two betta's in one bowl. Rawrg lol


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I say "bay-tah" because that's what I am used to hearing. And I got severely bashed and ganged up on for saying "expresso" instead of "espresso"... except I never heard "espresso" until the people came back from Italy and were being royal jerk wads to everyone :|

Anyways, I just go with what people say. 'Cept when it involved my "baggle" dog. She is NOT A BEAGLE  lol. A basset/beagle = baggle. 
"what kind of dog is she?"
"A baggle."
"you mean beagle."
"No. BAGGLE."
:lol:

then again betta is betta :| (baytuh is bettuh)


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## angiessa (Dec 19, 2011)

styggian said:


> I say "bet-uh". "Bay-tah" is from the word beta, which is completely different.
> 
> What really drives me bonkers is people who pluralize with an apostrophe. Apostrophes signify possession, not plural, except in specific cases. You can have a betta's bowl, two bettas in two bowls, even two bettas' bowls, but not two betta's in one bowl. Rawrg lol


Oh, don't get me started on grammar rants. I don't think we've enough time. :lol:


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I learned pluralization, was " 's is for if it is owned by, or using "is" as a part of the word." so betta's bowl belongs to the betta, my betta's flaring has the is... I might accidentally do that here and there xD usually catch myself...


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I say Bay-Ta... it's just how it's always been said around here for years until forums came along. I know it's Bet-Tah but meh... I'd be corrected left and rite if I said it that way in person around here. The pet store already thinks I'm a know it all. 

But yet... here? We have our own way of saying everything lol


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## aqua001 (Jan 13, 2012)

i thnk it is pronouced bay-tuh. i don't know if it is proper or not but that is what i'm used to hearing. it really just depends on your opinion because petstores like petsmrt tell me to pronounce it like bay-tuh while my friend keeps saying be-tuh LOL.


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## BeautifulBetta (Nov 12, 2011)

haha I'm a bay-tuh person too. Bet-tuh sounds funny to me. Sounds like a gangster saying 'better' xD


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I like saying it Bay-tah xDD Then you can do the ridiculous puns of Bettas being betta. 

lol gangster saying better xDD


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

I just say "bay-ta" because whenever I say "bet-tuh," people never understand what I'm talking about or they think I'm mispronouncing it. Eh, what can you do?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

When something is so set, like the mispronounciation of a word, it's very hard to revert it back to the original. ex. Paris: it's Pari! the S is silent. Or, Mexico. In spanish, it's Mehiko. the x, is not pronounced as "xs" but "h"  (language freak here, :lol


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## audjree (Jul 8, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> When something is so set, like the mispronounciation of a word, it's very hard to revert it back to the original. ex. Paris: it's Pari! the S is silent. Or, Mexico. In spanish, it's Mehiko. the x, is not pronounced as "xs" but "h"  (language freak here, :lol


Ha, I know exactly what you're talking about. Whenever I'm in French class and people mispronounce Paris, it just irritates me.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I know :lol: I get weird looks for using the proper pronounciations for those - but dare I say EXPRESSO  lol xDD


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Pluralization:
One Betta...two Betta...three Betta...Right?
(One fish... two fish)

Capitalization: 
Betta Splendens
Betta needs caps (the word, not the fish) 

On here, you can pronounce it anyway you choose. ;-)


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Both 'Betta' and 'Splendens' display as capitalized on my review field, but not on my post, above.

Is it incorrect?


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Bettas is plural, betta is singular.

Because it has two ts, the 'a' doesn't effect the pronounciation of the e, so it should technically be bet-tah, the same way that people say 'let-ter' instead of 'lay-ter'. However, all the Americans I've heard say it bay-tah, which I find odd (no offence, guys). Over here, so many people don't even know their scientific name that it very rarely comes up.


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## Zappity (Oct 15, 2011)

Proper way to say it is Bet-uh. I say Bay-Tah, cause it's easier and I sound dumb if I say it bet-uh thanks to my expander xP


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## Pleione (Jun 15, 2011)

You mean I was pronouncing it right all along? HAH! I had so many people tell me its Bay-Tah.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Bombalurina said:


> Bettas is plural, betta is singular.


Many Latin nouns ending in 'A' are pluralized 'ae'. Many use the singular form, relying on context for clarification. Many animal names in English use one form for singular as well as plural (deer, sheep).

Many experienced (older?) members of this forum pluralize Betta as Betta.

It should always be capitalized too, I think.


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## Sprinkles (Dec 6, 2011)

I have *always* said Bet-tuh. Up until recently, when a Petsmart employee said "Bay-tuh", I had never heard it pronounced that way or even knew this word was a problem. XD But I never thought that the pronunciation of beta would make people say Betta that way. I feel kind of bad too, because my instant reaction was to just look at her like she was crazy.


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## PaintingPintos (Dec 27, 2011)

angiessa said:


> Oh, don't get me started on grammar rants. I don't think we've enough time. :lol:


 Oh, my God, same. I could rant all day. Especially on Youtube..... :evil:


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## Banicks (Aug 20, 2011)

'Bey-ta'

Although sometimes 'better'. Don't know why.

In regards to the plural and singular, I'm actually beginning to just say Betta for both. Kinda like Samurai.


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## Pufferfish22 (Feb 6, 2011)

Thanks guys, but I'm still not sure what to say, definately not a beat-a tho!! Think as I'm British I'll go with Bet-tah because thats what the other Brits seem to be saying!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I have always said bet-tuh. Speaking of plural, it's bettas, not betta's.


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