Say “Yurr-en-us”, “Yurr-ann-us”, “You-ren-us”, or “You-ran-us”. [1] X Research source Say “Yurr-in-us”, but be aware that some people may hear this as “Urine us”–less overtly vulgar than “Your anus”, to be sure, but still perhaps not the best choice if you want to be taken seriously. Say each of these pronunciations aloud and decide which you like best. Practice pronouncing the name in your head when you read it, and practice pronouncing the name in conversation. Over time, your chosen pronunciation will become second-nature to you.
Bill Nye the Science Guy Carl Sagan Richard Feynman Neil DeGrasse Tyson Patrick Stewart
Break the word into three syllables: “Ur”, “An”, and “Us”. Many people pronounce the “A” as “ay” or “ey (a long “A”) and re-distribute the syllables as “Ur”, “A”, and “Nus”. This makes the word sound uncannily like “Your anus”–which may be humorous to some people, and offensive to others. [2] X Research source The “Yurr-AY-nus” pronunciation may seem especially apt because Uranus is a gas giant, swirling with high concentrations of toxic methane.
Most of the planets in our solar system are named after ancient gods, but most of these names are Roman names: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto. Uranus is the only Greek name. [4] X Research source Uranus was named thus by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode. He argued that the Roman god Saturn (equivalent to the Greek titan Cronos) was said to be the father of Jupiter (equivalent to the Greek god Zeus), and the planet Saturn was further from the sun than the planet Jupiter, so the next-furthest planet from the sun should be named for the father of Saturn: Uranus. [5] X Research source It is also acceptable to use the Greek name when referring to the planet. Say “Or-ann-os” or “Or-ah-nos”.
