Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

betta

/ˈbɛtɑː(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.79 in modern English

Syllables: bet-ta
IPA: /ˈbɛtɑː(ɹ)/

7

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any fish of the genus Betta, especially Betta splendens (the Siamese fighting fish).

adj

Pronunciation spelling of better, comparative of good.

adv

Pronunciation spelling of better, comparative of well.

adv

Pronunciation spelling of better (“had better”).

Slang

Example Sentences

"Rather than simply waiting for a clockwise turn and then presenting the mirror, past experience with another betta suggested that the turning behavior could be established more rapidly using a shaping procedure."
""Do you know that Siamese fighting fish—bettas—excrete ammonia in their waste, and that ammonia is toxic to fish? Twenty-four hours flapping their little gills in the same, unfiltered water, and they're history.[…]""
"I had previously bought a bright red betta fish from the Chinese spiritual store, which I also sense had been sent for Aurayah."
"'I think no savvy. This one mo' betta,' he added, pointing to the house where the drunken captain slumbered: 'Take-a-sun all-e-time.'"
"I pray dat dey he'p us liv' a betta lif ' den dey had."
"Joshua shyly looks down at his feet but then glances over at Harriet and says - “Miss Harriet, a beautiful form is betta dan a beautiful face, and a beautiful behavior is betta dan a beautiful form, it gives mo pleasure than statues or pictures.[…]""

Etymology

From the genus name.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈbɛtɑː(ɹ)/

Usage

Slang

Inflected Forms

bettas (plural)

Phrases

Chinese betta dusky betta

Synonyms

beta fish Siamese fighting fish

Rhymes With

loretta vendetta henrietta marietta rosetta mehta etta beretta panetta ceta operetta coretta

Questions

How do you pronounce betta?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɛtɑː(ɹ)/.
What does betta mean?: Any fish of the genus Betta, especially Betta splendens (the Siamese fighting fish).
Where does betta come from?: From the genus name.

How to pronounce betta

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “betta”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɛtɑː(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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