# Pronunciation of Uranus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510 "2003-03-15T02:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kelsonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kelsonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelsonk)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/1 "2003-03-15T02:56:27Z")
I’ve long pondered the true pronunciation of this word, but am at a loss. All my teachers say that it is “Your-uh-nus”, but I think they only feel this way because “Your-anus” is icky. There are several other pronunciations also. What was the very first pronunciation of this planet? Was the pronunciation ever changed (as I’ve heard a few times)? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/2 "2003-03-15T03:00:29Z")
it was “Your-anus” till about late 80’s then I started to hear the (IMHO) PC version “Your-uh-nus” If it’s any consulation It will always be your anus to me. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/3 "2003-03-15T03:07:14Z")
Well, the original Greek word is _Ouranos_, which would be pronounced roughly _oor-uh-NOSS_. However, the planet was never called this. Nor was it called either of the pronunciations that **kanicbird** gives. The first syllable is pronounced _yoor_ or maybe _yur_, not _your_. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/4 "2003-03-15T03:15:32Z")
The Ancient Greek name of the sky deity this planet was named after was Ouranos - the pronunciation has apparently changed in the last fifteen years to be similar to the greek- but I couldn’t say how Herschel (the planet’s discoverer) would have said it… he wanted to call the new planet ‘Georgium Sidas’ after the King, then it was called ‘Herschel’ for a while, before settling on this mutation of a greek name. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/5 "2003-03-15T03:50:09Z")
Doesn’t matter, they’ll change the name in a hundred years to Urectum. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/6 "2003-03-15T03:56:03Z")
Actually, I think Carl Sagan might have pronounced it “YOOR-uh-nus” in **Cosmos** , which was circa 1980. I don’t have my OED handy, but I think when it was originally compiled, it might have been pronounced “yoo-RAN-us” with the middle syllable rhyming with “can.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/7 "2003-03-15T03:56:44Z")
… I pronounce mine “AY - nuss” how do you pronounce urs? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Florentine\_Pogen\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Florentine\_Pogen\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Florentine_Pogen_1)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/8 "2003-03-15T04:09:31Z")
Ah-Niss I’m british. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/9 "2003-03-15T04:27:12Z")
According to my dictionaries, one printed in '64 and one printed int '98, both are correct. The people that bitch about the “rude one” have problems that go much deeper than mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/10 "2003-03-15T04:39:42Z")
Your-anus. Urine-us. You can’t help but win either way. Assuming you’re an 8-year-old boy. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/11 "2003-03-15T11:48:10Z")
\>\>it was “Your-anus” till about late 80’s then I started to hear the (IMHO) PC version “Your-uh-nus” In the late 70’s when I was an astronomy student, my professors told me that the English-speaking astronomical community was trying to change from “Your-anus” to “Your-uh-nus” because they had recently found rings around it and were tired of the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/12 "2003-03-15T12:16:23Z")
“where are we going, capt. Picard?” “we’re going to search Uranus for Klingons, number 1” 😃 sorry, couldn’t resist ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/13 "2003-03-15T15:46:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Doesn’t matter, they’ll change the name in a hundred years to Urectum. \*\* Leela: “I don’t get it.” Dang you, **Mr. Blue Sky** , for stealing the line I was going to use. ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/14 "2003-03-15T17:51:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eburacum45 \* > **he wanted to call the new planet ‘Georgium Sidas’ after the King** And ‘Sidas’ means ‘Seat’ so Your Anus is apropos IMO. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/15 "2003-03-15T18:24:16Z")
I pronounce it Your Anus. Some PC crap just goes too far for no legitimate reason. Urine iss yellow. It doesn’t get better by changing the pronunctiation. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-uranus/161510/16 "2003-03-15T18:42:04Z")
There was a bit about this in **National Lampoon**. They pointed out that any way you pronounce it is obscene : Your anus Urine us You’re in us My advice: Pronounce it however you want. You’re damned anyway. And consider this: Uranus was th ver first planet to be discovered and named since Classical times. William Herschel, who did the discovering, wanted to suck up to the King of England – He anted to call it “George” (_Georgium Sideris_, actually) I’ll take Uranus over that anyday.