5 exercises on pronouncing common networking terms aloud.
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How is "subnet" pronounced?
subnet is said "SUB-net" /ˈsʌbnɛt/ — two syllables, stress on the first, "sub" /sʌb/ (as in "submarine") plus "net" /nɛt/. It is short for "subnetwork." So "carve it into a SUB-net", "the SUB-net mask is 255.255.255.0." The verb "to subnet" keeps the same stress: "we SUB-netted the address space."
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How is "gateway" pronounced?
gateway is pronounced "GATE-way" /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the first, simply "gate" (long /eɪ/) plus "way." So "set the default GATE-way", "traffic goes through the GATE-way." It is a transparent compound of two everyday English words. Do not stress the second syllable or shorten the first vowel to "gat."
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How is "proxy" pronounced?
proxy is said "PROX-ee" /ˈprɒksi/ — two syllables, stress on the first, with the "x" pronounced /ks/ and a final /i/ ("ee"). So "route it through a PROX-ee", "a reverse PROX-ee like nginx." It is the ordinary English word "proxy" (a stand-in or representative). Do not voice the x into /ɡz/ ("prog-zee") or stress the second syllable.
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How is "latency" pronounced?
latency is pronounced "LAY-ten-see" /ˈleɪtənsi/ — three syllables, stress on the first, with a long /eɪ/ vowel ("lay," not "lat"), a schwa in the middle, and "see" at the end. So "reduce the LAY-ten-see", "high LAY-ten-see kills the user experience." Do not use a short "a" ("LAT-en-see") — it shares its root with "latent" /ˈleɪtənt/.
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How is "NAT" (network address translation) pronounced?
NAT is said "nat" /næt/ — one syllable, short /æ/ vowel, exactly like the name "Nat" (short for Nathan), rhyming with "cat" and "hat." It stands for "Network Address Translation." So "the router does NAT", "set up NAT on the gateway." It is pronounced as a word, not spelled out "en-ay-tee," and the vowel is short, not "nayt."