Pronouncing Uranus

[Daphne333]

Today I was teaching Reading and we were going over vocabulary. I prounced it U-rain-us. A student corrected me saying, "No, its ur-in-us. You're saying it wrong."
I ignored him and went on with the lesson. Honestly, I'd never heard it pronounced ur-in-us before.
Later that day we were going to an assembly. I was standing with my homeroom waiting to go into the gym. The boy (he's not from my homeroom) says, "Hi Ms. Daphne! Its It's still Ur-in-us by the way." I found that to be very rude to correct me in front of my class, other waiting classes and several teachers. I think I also took offense because of the way he said by the way. His homeroom teacher is the know it all teacher of the building. She has already told her students that I'm not doing things in the reading program right. I had 3 of her students make that comment to me. (I looked it up and I am doing what the program says to do.) So part of me wonders if she's behind his little comment.

I researched it and you can pronounce it either way. Some websites even said you can pronounce it u-ran-us. Although, I'm not too sure about that.

How do you pronounce Uranus? Part of me doesn't want to change my pronunciation of the word just because of the know it all kid. (This isn't the first time he corrected me. I probably remind him every other week that I'm the teacher and my decision is final.) Either pronunciation is correct, but I do want to do what's best for the other kids in my class.

 

[grav_def]

Funny you should ask, because I was teaching about the planets today and was thinking about this, too! I've heard it both ways, but I ended up going with the way you said it, with the long a and the accent on the middle syllable.

 

[Sariana]

I think yur-AY-niss is more common in Britain. I say YUR-uh-niss. Why give kids more ammo by saying "your anus"?

 

[Lottalove]

I grew up with Ur. Rain. Us. But I have noticed lately that all the TV shows and documentaries say it the new way now.

 

[Ally]

I say Yur-in-us...I personally would not change how I said something bc of some rude kid! You are not wrong, there are 2 pronunciations.

 

[Claire]

haha

That is exactly why I say yur uh nus not yur Anus!!! Haha. 5th graders do not need any more words to laugh at.

 

[h0kie]

Uranus

How do you pronounce Uranus?

I make a conscious effort to say it, "ur-in-us." I learned and grew up saying, "u-rain-us."

Third grade boys will laugh at anything.

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. I say turn it into a teachable moment on how different people pronounce things differently.

(I would have been very ticked when he repeated the "It's still..." comment. Ohhhh h*ll no. I would have addressed it right there, in front of everyone. Disrespectful and rude.)

 

[grav_def]

Why give kids more ammo by saying "your anus"?

Because the other way, you're talking about urine. Lose-lose.

 

[FionaJ]

I gladly made the switch to "Ur-in-us" when I started hearing it like that! (probably about 20 years ago) Like others, I appreciate being able to avoid saying "your anus". Sorry, but "urine us" isn't a phrase I've ever heard or read, so that isn't a problem.

That said, both pronunciations are acceptable, and it was rude of the boy to correct you. But your biggest problem is the other teacher telling her students you're not teaching the program correctly. She has some nerve!

 

[multigrade]

I would have had trouble not taking that child's rear end out of line. And I'm sorry you're dealing with a know-it-all colleague. HE needs to be stopped, along with your coworker.
I started accenting the first syllable when I started teaching to prevent giggles/comments. Accenting the second syllable sounds better to me, but I don't want any drama.

 

[Caroltn4]

I say ur-in-us--Alex Trebec pronounced it that way years ago on Jeopardy, so I figured it must be OK!

 

[TheGr8Catsby]

I've heard it Oo-ron-oos. That's my favorite. I say Your-i-ness.

 

[yesteach]

both

there was a time, with my older kids, when pronouncing it "your anus" was a sixth grade giggle moment... I'd be willing to bet (seeing as how we teach next to NO health/biology/etc. in elementary) the majority of my kids have no idea what an anus is.. so the pronunciation is irrelevant.

Just like those folks who pronounce harassment as "HAIR-us-ment" rather than "Huh-RASS-ment" because it sounds like "her ass"... time to grow up..

Mine kept correcting me with data last week because I was using a long a "day-ta" and they insisted it was a short a "da-ta".. I told them watch Star Trek: Next Gen, his name was not Mr Data (with short A)..