Speaking as a person highly skilled in not only 'creative' spelling but 'creative' pronounciation of a myriad words, there is always a correct pronounciation for words, I just never get it right myself, lol.
So I'll quote others who can:
[URL="http
/www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/...female_more.htm"]http/www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/...female_more.htm[/URL]
' I've been a Betta breeder for nearly 24 years. It makes me nuts when I hear and see the name "Betta" spelled and mispornounced wrong. Your site has Betta spelled wrong all over it. You have it spelled "Beta". This is a common spelling error when folks are mispronouncing the name.
'The spelling error comes when folks say "bait-tuh", instead of correctly pronpuncing it "Bet-tuh" Please correct the spelling mistakes, as you are only fueling this all too common error.'
[URL="http/badmanstropicalfish.com/mb/mb154.html"]http/badmanstropicalfish.com/mb/mb154.html[/URL]
'... (this really isn't important at all, but contrary to popular belief, correct pronunciation of the name is Behtta (like the word better, but with an "a" at the end). Beta (bay-ta) is a greek letter. Like I said, this isn't really important, but has slowly become a rather minor pet peeve of mine, please forgive me). ...'
[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/faq.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/faq.htm[/URL]
'How is "betta" pronounced?
The correct pronunciation of "betta" is "bet-tah" and not like the second letter of the Greek alphabet, beta, or "bay-tah". Mispronouncing betta seems to be a sore point for a number of hard-core bettakeepers. Frankly, "bay-tah" rolls off my tongue much easier than "bet-tah" does and what I do behind closed doors is my business, right?
'
It's sort of like someone - me, for example - pronouncing cichlid kich (as in chipmunk) - lid, the first time she said it. Luckily, there was someone handy to correct me, or, later, I'd never have got my little Red Devil to grow out until June, as being unable to even pronounce the name is rather a giveaway.
People are apt to conclude that if you can't pronounce the name properly, you're ignorant of other basics pertaining to the fish.
And in my case, they'd have been right, not that I'd have considered raising any cichlid at that time.
Apart from some advice from various people on the local fish forum and a bit of reading, I still know almost nothing about cichlids, except that watching them kill and eat feeder shrimp - not neccessarily in that order - can make you sick, which may have been the purpose of the pronunciation, lol.
But few things are as evil to the chronic 'creative pronouncer' as various plant names, though - when buying, if possible, I just write them down and show the list - it's the only way anybody knows what I'm talking about, especially me!
Edit: but, luckily, anyone who calls them 'better fish' are right - even though they are actually among the best.
