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[Opinions] How do you pronounce Beatrice?
Since reading the Series of Unfortunate Events, I've been super into Beatrice. I listened to the audiobooks, and Tim Curry pronounced it "Be-a-tris", which is wonderful, imo. Bee-trice doesn't have the same appeal at all. I'm wondering how the average person would pronounce it automatically (like, upon reading it, rather than hearing it first). How do you pronounce it?
Beatrice Evander Larkin
Parisa Ziya Silver
www.behindthename.com/pnl/59411

This message was edited 9/10/2017, 10:55 AM

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Beatrice is definitely bee-a-tris, but I've been confused by Bea before. I know it's short for Beatrice but the first time I saw it in a book I wasn't sure whether it was bee or bee-a.
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I think I just got unlucky...I think my first introduction to Beatrice was when my second grade teacher read the Junie B. Jones books and she pronounced it with two syllables, so that's how I always thought it was pronounced (I don't think I've heard anyone say it out loud since then). But it looks like overwhelmingly, most people pronounce it with three. I wrote it down and asked my husband how he pronounces it, and he pronounced it with three syllables too. So, yay-- I can try to come up with combos with it as a first name.

This message was edited 9/11/2017, 6:47 AM

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I pronounce it Be-a-tris.
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I thought there was only one way? The Tim Curry way?
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Oddly enough. (and I clicked on this thread just to tell you this) I pronounce the name one way EXCEPT for when I read the Series of Unfortunate Event books.I always say ,"BEE-a-tris," except for when reading those dedications and such in which I magically finding myself saying, "bee-AT-ris."I never say bee-trice.

This message was edited 9/10/2017, 10:39 PM

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Bee-a-tris, or, the Italian waz, Bay-ah-tree-chay. "Bee-tris" sounds odd to me.
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Be-a-tris always. One of my favorites, love the nn Bea.
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I say 'bee-a-tris.' Bay-a-tris would probably be nicer, but it's not as intuitive to me.
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I have never heard it pronounced Bee-trice, always Be-a-tris or Bee-at-ris.
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This issue is one reason why I dislike the name. I think "bee-uh-tris" but what comes out of my mouth sounds like it could easily be "bee-tris" with a slightly longer eee sound than it would get otherwise. The A is just so small and neutral and it feels awkward to give it the length of a whole syllable. Be a triss, or be tris, either way it's ugly.

This message was edited 9/10/2017, 5:36 PM

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Be-at-ris
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Be-a-tris
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bee-a-tris. I have never heard anyone pronounce it bee-tris.
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I say "bee-trice".
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If I was consciously thinking about the pronunciation, it would be Be-a-tris. But in everyday use, common use, I feel I would probably end up saying it more like Bee-trice.
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I think I used to pronounce it bee-tris but I pronounce it bee-a-tris these days.
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This message was edited 9/11/2017, 3:31 PM

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Never heard Bee-trice. I say Be-A-Triss. And if I'm faking Italian and thinking of Dante's lover, bay-a-TREE-chay!
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Either 'Bee-er-triss' or 'Beer-triss', somewhere in between maybe. (But neither are like 'Bee-triss'.)

This message was edited 9/10/2017, 2:11 PM

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I've only ever heard it bee-a-tris. I've never heard or considered bee-trice.
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It's hard for me to separate what I'd think when reading it from how I've just always heard it pronounced (which is BEE-a-TRIS). The 'a' is pronounced but not stressed. I don't recall ever reading it when I hadn't heard the name, probably because of Princess Beatrice maybe but I also went to preschool with a Beatrice.
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I pronounce it like Tim Curry. It's a little better than Bee-tris but either way I hate it.
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Bee-tris. Bee-a-tris is okay.
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BAY-ah-trhees (the Dutch way), if I'd encounter it in English I'd still assume 3 syllables.
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BEE-uh-tris. I really dislike the name but BEE-tris is about a trillion times worse. Ugh.
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Three syllables, which sounds so much nicer.It's definitely a regional thing though, so you might want to find out about your specific area if you want to use it. My Mom says it with two syllables.
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Hi !!!I'm Italian so I pronounce it be-a-TREE-che.If I try to pronounce it in English it would be BEE-a-triss.
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Bee-a-tris. I didn't know it could be Bee-tris? Either Bee-a-tris or in Italian, bee-a-tree-che, I encountered one of those once.

This message was edited 9/10/2017, 12:03 PM

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In Swedish we pronounce it be-a-TREES. In English I would pronounce it BE-a-triss.
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I pronounce it like Tim Curry does: three syllables, the first of which is emphasized and rhymes with "me."
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I pronounce it Be-a-tris. I really dislike the 2-syllable pronunciation because it reminds me of beats. It's my 5 year old niece's name.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events brings back memories! Not enough that I remember Beatrice, but still. I say Bee-uh-triss, and always have. But I have heard my mum say Bee-ay-triss and Bee-ay-trix (for Beatrix), which I find a little weird, but better than Bee-tris.
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Bee-a-triss. That's how it's usually pronounced here.
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Be-a-triss. I always assumed that was the proper way based on knowing Beatrix Potter and hearing my mom say Be-a-trix all the time.
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BEE-ə-tris
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I say be-a-tris. Beat-ris sounds very odd to me.
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