# Pronunciation of "Beyhive"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 23, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291 "2018-01-23T14:03:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291/1 "2018-01-23T14:03:23Z")

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I’m running a pub trivia game tonight, and one of the questions is about Beyoncé fans calling themselves the Beyhive. Which means I’m going to have to say “Beyhive” out loud.

The obvious choice for pronunciation is BEE-hive. However, I’d swear I’ve heard Beyoncé referred to as “Queen Bey,” pronounced BAY, which could make the fans the BAY-hive.

Which is it? Am I just hallucinating the whole “bay” thing?

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**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291/2 "2018-01-23T22:38:18Z")

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Bump

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291/3 "2018-01-23T23:15:54Z")

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Go with the obvious choice. Cite: [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So6ifqHkyoo) and many other video. People even argue [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qca0ysOKeOI) and settle on beehive.

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**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291/4 "2018-01-24T22:25:20Z")

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Thank you, **TroutMan**!

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-beyhive/807291/5 "2018-01-24T22:58:02Z")

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I have to admit, I’ve wondered it myself. Normally with these kind of things I go to youtube since you can actually hear people saying it. Typically, it’s about how a name is pronounced and you just need to go watch one (maybe two to double check) interviews with them so you can see them being introduced, but I don’t know if she ever calls her fans out by name. However, plenty of other youtubers, including E! do and they all say Bee-Hive.

In the end, I know how it looks, but it matches her name. Beyonce-Beyhive.