Beta (letter) - Definition and Overview

Beta (upper case Β, lower case β) is the 2nd letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Ancient Greek language, it was pronounced [b], but in Modern Greek is pronounced [v]. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 2. Beta should not be confused with a similar-looking but unrelated letter in German language orthography, ß, which denotes a long "s" sound.

Beta is the second highest caste in Aldous Huxley's dystopic satire Brave New World.

The lower-case letter β is used as the symbol for:

• The beta particle and beta decay in particle physics.
• The speed of an object relative to the speed of light (β = v/c) in special relativity theory.
• The voiced bilabial fricative (IPA) in phonology.

The Modern Greek name of the letter is /ˈvi.ta/. The American pronunciation is /ˈbeɪ.tə/ whereas the British pronunciation is /ˈbiː.tə/. See: American and British English differences, IPA

Letters that arose from Beta include the Roman B and the Cyrillic letters Be and Ve.

The Chinese radical Fu (阝) looks almost identical.