How do you say it?

[Seahorse]

Just curious! I say it bay-tah, and have heard a few petstore owners also say that, however I have heard just as many say bet-ah!

 

[splashluff]

I say BAY-tuh too. BET-uh is wierd to me...

 

[Ethos]

I also say it Bay-tah. Its how I said it as a kid, so it sounds like what it is when other people say it.

 

[IovaykInD]

BETA=BAY-TA
BETTA=BET-TA

CHECKED THE DICTIONARY

 

[Seahorse]

It is split so much though I think bay-tah would qualify as an alternative pronouncation.

Interesting, I wonder if this is a geographical thing...

Ooh, hmm...

That's probably completely off, but everyone say where they are from!

Michigan.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Bet-ta sounds like the "ghetto" version of "better", therefore I will ban that pronounciation from my vocabulary.

 

[OrkyBetta]

I say it bay-tuh but everyone at my lfs looks at me like I have two heads. Glad to know i'm not alone. I was wondering the same thing myself.

It phonetically makes sense to say bet-uh because of the double consonant after a vowel means short vowel. But oh well, I like bay-tuh

 

[splashluff]

LMAOO... thats exactly what I was thinking, tempestuous... I just didn't say it. Because it sounds kindof dumb.

That's really interesting. I've actually never heard a fish person call them BET-uh's, but I guess thats the right way to say it.

 

[Seahorse]

Heh, this is getting interesting

 

[flamepony12]

I call them bay-tuhs as well. I've never heard a person call them Bet-tuhs before, though.

 

[SPLiSH]

I've aways called them BET-TAs........

 

[Synirr]

I say bay-tuh even though I know it's wrong

 

[Seahorse]

Is it really wrong though? IS IT?! I think with it being such a common pronouncation, it should be accepted as a legitimate one.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

We need more crazies like splish to argue the other side.

 

[Saucy]

Yeah, I'm trying to start calling them Bet-tas now that I read it's the correct pronunciation in the 2006 Annual Aquarium Fish magazine... it's so hard though. Everyone says BAY-tuh. Minus the few people at our uber fish store that actually know something.