betty
/ˈbɛti/noun, verb
betty is spelled B-E-T-T-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 8.3 times per million words in written English, the 8,036th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, betty means “A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of betty is betties.
How many letters and syllables are in betty?
| Letters | 5: B-E-T-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.3 times per million words; the 8,036th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is betty?
Betty appears 8.3 times per million words in written English, the 8,036th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce betty?
- /ˈbɛti/
Betty has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-betty.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-Betty.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of betty
- betties plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bettee
- bettying participle, present
- bettied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does betty mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
slangA short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open; a jimmy.
- 2
slangA picklock, skeleton key; a tool for opening locks.
- 3
archaicderogatoryA man who performs tasks that traditionally belong to a woman; (originally) an effeminate or gay man.
- 4
USarchaicA pear-shaped bottle covered with straw, in which olive oil is sometimes brought from Italy; a Florence flask.
- 5
A baked dessert made with alternating layers of sweetened fruit and buttered bread crumbs.
- 6
slangAn attractive woman; a babe.
verb
- 1
To pick a lock, to open with a betty.
- 2
archaicTo be overly attentive to someone or something.
noun
- 1
derogatoryslangA girl who hangs out with skateboarders or surfers.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does betty come from?
From Betty (nickname for “Elizabeth”). In thieves’ cant a tool for wrenching locked doors is also called a Bess (from “Elizabeth”) or a Jenny. The “attractive woman” sense may relate to the character Betty Rubble in the cartoon The Flintstones.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).