Is the star betelgeuse pronounced like the movie character?

Question

coz my astronomy prof. keeps saying bet-ell-juice, and not beet-ell-juice.

Answer 1

Yes, it's pronounced like "beetlejuice".

It roughly translates to "giant's armpit".

No, I'm not kidding.

Answer 2

I have always heard it like the the movie, or the bug juice.

Answer 3

  Yup.

Answer 4

i would suggest that the astronomy professor has a good idea of the official scientific term...

or maybe it varies between US and UK or something

Answer 5

My Science teacher pronounced it with a Hard G, but I thought it was like the movie.

I didn't "correct" her, though.

Answer 6

bēt'l-jōōz'

Answer 7

Absolutely not.

It's pronounced bet-ell-juzz

The last syllable is not juice, it's an long uh sound like in could.

Answer 8

Yes, took the movie for me to realize what the pronounciation was. Had the same problem finding out how to pronounce ennui. (awn wee). WTF!!  LOL!!

Answer 9

yes it is. my astronomy professor always said it like beetlejuice! yay!

Answer 10

I've hung around with astronomers, amateur and professional, for most of my life, and I can tell you unequivocally that very few of them have pronounced Alpha Orionis'es proper name any way other than Beetle Juice.  The name is from Arabic and should be pronounced differently, but this is one of those happy little quirks in astronomy that everyone, virtually, ignores the correct pronunciation. Personally speaking, those who struggle to pronounce it like it is spelled are being pompous.  

Answer 11

Yes.  And the movie was originally spelled like the star, but I guess they figured it was an easier sell as Beetlejuice.  There are plenty of words that are commonly pronounced one way and offically another.  Like how Wilfred Brimley pronounces diabetes as diabeetis.