The Right Way to Pronounce ‘Uranus,’ According to Experts

Uranus is the butt of many jokes for obvious reasons. But how do scientists pronounce the name of the planet—and who named it that in the first place?

1. How Did Uranus Get Its Name?
2. How to Pronounce Uranus

How Did Uranus Get Its Name?

Though English astronomer John Flamsteed was the first person to record observations of Uranus in the 1690s, he thought it was a star. Sir William Herschel gets the credit for identifying it as a planet in 1781. Herschel named it Georgium Sidus, Latin for “George’s star,” after King George III.

At that point, the planets visible to the naked eye were all known by the names that the Romans had given them. Jupiter, the largest, was named after the king of the Roman gods (Zeus, in Greek mythology); Mars for the god of war; Mercury for the messenger; Saturn for the god of agriculture; and Venus for the goddess of beauty and love.

Not only did Georgium Sidus break with this tradition, but it was also very specific to Great Britain. All things considered, it’s no surprise that the name never really stuck—and eventually, German astronomer Johann Bode suggested Uranus as an alternative. It’s the Latin spelling of Ouranos, the name of Greek mythology’s god of the sky or heaven. (Roman mythology’s counterpart to Ouranos is generally recognized as Caelus; it’s not really clear why Bode opted for Uranus rather than just using Caelus.)

How to Pronounce Uranus

Pronouncing Uranus is a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure. The big question is whether it’s “YUR-uh-nuss” or “yur-AY-nuss.”  As linguist James Harbeck once pointed out, the latter might seem more natural to English speakers because it sounds more like the word looks like it would be pronounced—after all, we’re clear on how to say both anus and uranium.

But scientists, broadcasters, and other official sources generally prefer “YUR-uh-nuss.” Is that because it’s “correct,” or just because it’s less uncomfortable to utter in formal settings? It’s tough to say. “I call it ‘YUR-uh-nuss’ unless I’m making a joke,” planetary astronomer Michael Brown quips in the video above.

Even if you follow experts’ lead, there’s still a fair amount of pronunciation variation. Some people say “YOR-uh-nuss,” like your, while others draw out the first syllable further so it’s more like “YOOR-uh-nuhss.” The Oxford English Dictionary lists these options along with “yoor-AY-nuhss.”

Merriam-Webster, meanwhile, lists “YUR-uh-nuss” first and “yur-AY-nuss” second. In summary, the less inappropriate version is considered standard. But the other one isn’t wrong.

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