Pronunciation Guide for Database and Tool Names
How to pronounce PostgreSQL, Cassandra, Redis, Elasticsearch, DynamoDB, and other tech tool names correctly — so you sound confident in every meeting.
One of the most common sources of embarrassment for non-native English speakers in tech meetings is mispronouncing a well-known tool or database name. The good news is that even native English speakers disagree on some of these — so you are not alone. But knowing the widely accepted pronunciation will help you sound confident and prepared.
This guide covers the most commonly mispronounced database and infrastructure tool names, with phonetic guides and audio-friendly descriptions.
Database Names
PostgreSQL
Correct pronunciation: “post-GRES-cue-el” or, informally, “post-GRES”
The “SQL” part is said as individual letters: S-Q-L, not “sequel.” Many engineers simply say “Postgres” in conversation.
“We’re running PostgreSQL 15 on the primary database server.” “Just say ‘Postgres’ — everyone will know what you mean.”
Common mistake: Saying “post-GRAY-skul” or “post-gree-SKU-el.”
MySQL
Correct pronunciation: “my-ESS-cue-el”
Never “my-sequel” — unlike Microsoft SQL Server, which is traditionally called “sequel server.”
“The legacy system uses MySQL 5.7.”
SQLite
Correct pronunciation: “ESS-cue-el-LITE”
“For local development we use SQLite — no setup required.”
Cassandra
Correct pronunciation: “kuh-ZAN-druh”
The stress is on the second syllable. Named after the Greek mythological prophet.
“We chose Cassandra for its write throughput and geographic distribution capabilities.”
DynamoDB
Correct pronunciation: “DY-nuh-mo-dee-bee”
Break it into parts: dy-na-mo + DB (said as individual letters D-B).
“All user session data is stored in DynamoDB with a five-minute TTL.”
Redis
Correct pronunciation: “RED-iss”
Short and simple — the stress is on the first syllable. It stands for Remote Dictionary Server.
“We use Redis for caching API responses and managing rate limits.”
Elasticsearch
Correct pronunciation: “ee-LAS-tik-search”
Four syllables. The “Elastic” part is said clearly, like the English word elastic.
“Elasticsearch powers the full-text search across our documentation.”
MongoDB
Correct pronunciation: “mon-GO-dee-bee”
The “DB” at the end is said as individual letters: D-B.
“Our content management system stores documents in MongoDB.”
CockroachDB
Correct pronunciation: “COCK-roach-dee-bee”
Yes, it really is named after the insect. Say it confidently.
“We evaluated CockroachDB for its distributed SQL capabilities.”
Messaging and Streaming Tools
Kafka
Correct pronunciation: “KAF-kuh”
Named after the author Franz Kafka. The stress is on the first syllable.
“All events are published to Kafka topics and consumed by downstream services.”
RabbitMQ
Correct pronunciation: “RAB-it-em-cue”
MQ stands for Message Queue — say the letters M and Q separately.
“RabbitMQ handles our email notification queue.”
Infrastructure Tools
Kubernetes
Correct pronunciation: “koo-ber-NET-eez”
This is one of the most commonly mispronounced names in tech. Five syllables. Often shortened to “K8s” in writing (said as “kates”).
“The application runs on a Kubernetes cluster managed by EKS.”
Terraform
Correct pronunciation: “TER-uh-form”
Three syllables. Like “terraform” (to transform a planet’s environment).
“Our infrastructure is defined as code using Terraform.”
Nginx
Correct pronunciation: “EN-jin-ex”
This one surprises many people. It is not “en-GINKS” or “en-JINKS” — it is “en-jin-ex.”
“Nginx serves as our reverse proxy and handles SSL termination.”
Ansible
Correct pronunciation: “AN-suh-bul”
Three syllables. The word comes from science fiction (a device for instant communication).
“We manage server configuration with Ansible playbooks.”
A Quick Reference Table
| Tool | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | post-GRES-cue-el | Often shortened to “Postgres” |
| MySQL | my-ESS-cue-el | Not “my-sequel” |
| Cassandra | kuh-ZAN-druh | Stress on second syllable |
| DynamoDB | DY-nuh-mo-dee-bee | DB = individual letters |
| Redis | RED-iss | Stress on first syllable |
| Kubernetes | koo-ber-NET-eez | Often called “K8s” |
| Nginx | EN-jin-ex | Not “en-GINKS” |
| Kafka | KAF-kuh | Named after Franz Kafka |
The safest rule: listen to how senior engineers at your company say these names and follow their lead. In many cases, there are regional variations — and as long as you are consistent and confident, people will understand you. Pronunciation matters less than clarity.