8 exercises — learn how to say SQL, NGINX, GIF, JWT, IPv6, Linux, char, and Kubernetes correctly in English-speaking tech teams.
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How is "SQL" most commonly pronounced in English-speaking tech teams?
"sequel" — SQL was originally called SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language) before being shortened to SQL. Most English-speaking developers say "sequel". You will occasionally hear "S-Q-L" (some database administrators and formal documentation prefer this). Both are understood, but "sequel" is the dominant pronunciation in day-to-day conversation. Usage: "Let me write a sequel query", "the sequel database", "sequel server" (Microsoft SQL Server).
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How is "NGINX" correctly pronounced?
"engine-x" — NGINX is pronounced "engine-x". This comes from the original Russian pronunciation (Nginx was created by Igor Sysoev). The logo reinforces this with the stylised N. You will almost never hear a native speaker say "N-G-I-N-X" in conversation. Usage: "The engine-x config lives in /etc/nginx/", "proxy through engine-x with SSL termination".
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How is "GIF" most commonly pronounced?
Both are widely accepted — This is genuinely contested. Steve Wilhite, GIF's creator, insisted on "jiff" (soft g). Many developers use "gif" (hard g, like "gift"). Both are immediately understood. The creator's preference is "jiff" but the hard-g pronunciation is equally common and not wrong. You will not be corrected for either. Just stay consistent within a conversation.
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How is "JWT" typically pronounced in conversation?
"jot" — JWT (JSON Web Token) is informally pronounced "jot" by most developers. This is the official preferred pronunciation according to the JWT specification (RFC 7519). In formal contexts you may spell it out letter by letter (J-W-T), but in daily conversation "jot" is standard. "I signed the jot with the private key", "check the jot expiry", "the jot payload is base64-encoded".
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How is "IPv6" pronounced?
Both "I-P-version-six" and "I-P-v-six" are correct — you will hear both in conversation. "IPv6" is typically read as "I-P-v-six" in fast speech and "I-P-version-six" in formal or explanatory contexts. "Migrate to I-P-v-six addressing" and "the server doesn't support I-P-version-six yet" are both natural. Note: IPv4 follows the same pattern — "I-P-v-four" or "I-P-version-four".
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How is "Linux" most commonly pronounced in English?
Both "LY-nux" (American style) and "LIN-ux" are widely used — Linus Torvalds himself pronounces it "LIN-us" (short I), consistent with his Finnish name Linus. However, "LY-nux" (long I) is also very common in American English. In practice you will hear both and neither is wrong. For reference, Linus's recorded pronunciation is at kernel.org. Linux distributions like "Linus-inspired Unix" make the short-I reading logical.
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How is "char" (a single character data type) pronounced in code reviews and discussions?
Both "car" and "care" are heard in tech teams — "char" (short for character) is an interesting regional split. British and Australian developers tend to say "char" (rhymes with "bar"/"car"). American developers often say "char" rhyming with "care" or "air". In international teams, both are understood immediately from context. You will never be misunderstood regardless of pronunciation in a code review: "is this a char or a string?" is clear both ways.
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How is "Kubernetes" correctly pronounced?
"koo-ber-NET-ees" — Kubernetes comes from the Greek κυβερνήτης (kybernetes) meaning helmsman or navigator. The official pronunciation is "koo-ber-NET-ees" (stress on the third syllable). It is commonly shortened to "k8s" (K-eight-S) in writing, pronounced "kates". In fast conversational speech you will often hear "koo-ber-netes" or "kates". Usage: "The kates cluster is running on GKE", "koo-ber-NET-ees handles container orchestration".