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# Developer pronunciation — FAQ

Direct answers to the questions devs actually Google. With audio (tap ▶ to hear) and the canonical source for each.

## How do you pronounce `kubectl`?

`kubectl` is pronounced "koob control" (/ˈkuːb kənˌtroʊl/). Heard from Kelsey Hightower and many Kubernetes maintainers at KubeCon. "cube-cuddle" is the running meme and "kube-C-T-L" letter-by-letter is also common.

→ full entry with alternates + CLI usage

## Is `GIF` pronounced "jif" or "gif"?

The creator Steve Wilhite settled this at the 2013 Webby Awards: "It's pronounced JIF, not GIF." So "jif" (/dʒɪf/) is the creator-canonical reading. "gif" with a hard G is widespread in community use.

→ entry + Wilhite citation

## How do you pronounce `JSON`?

`JSON` is pronounced "jay-son" (/ˈdʒeɪsən/). Douglas Crockford (JSON's creator) has said both "jay-son" and "jee-son" are acceptable, but he uses "jay-son" himself.

→ entry + Crockford citation

## How do you pronounce `JWT`?

`JWT` (JSON Web Token) is pronounced "jot" (/dʒɒt/) per IETF RFC 7519 §1. In practice, letter-by-letter "J-W-T" dominates spoken usage even though the RFC says "jot".

→ entry + RFC link

## How do you pronounce `nginx`?

`nginx` is pronounced "engine X" (/ˈɛn dʒɪnˈɛks/). Documented as the canonical reading on the official NGINX website. "n-jinx" is the common misreading.

→ entry + nginx.org citation

## How do you pronounce `sudo`?

`sudo` is pronounced "soo-doo" (/ˈsuːduː/) following the Bourne convention — "substitute-user-do". "soo-doh" is the other common reading; the community is genuinely split.

→ entry + alternates

## How do you pronounce `CIDR`?

`CIDR` is pronounced "cider" (/ˈsaɪdər/) — like the apple drink. Documented in CIDR specs.

→ entry + sources

## How do you pronounce `regex`?

`regex` is pronounced "rej-eks" (/ˈrɛdʒɛks/) most commonly. "reg-eks" with hard G is also widespread — the community is split. Either is acceptable.

→ entry + alternates

## What is the correct pronunciation of `GNU`?

`GNU` is pronounced "guh-new" (/ɡnuː/) as one syllable with a hard G, rhyming with "new". Documented on the official GNU pronunciation page.

→ entry + GNU citation

## How do you pronounce `etcd`?

`etcd` is pronounced "et-cee-dee" (/ˌɛt siː ˈdiː/) — the FAQ documents it as "et-cetera-distributed".

→ entry + etcd FAQ link

## How do you pronounce `LaTeX`?

`LaTeX` is pronounced "lay-tek" (/ˈleɪtɛk/) per Leslie Lamport (LaTeX's creator). Never "lay-teks" — the X is a Greek chi, not the English letter.

→ entry + Lamport citation

## How do you pronounce `Django`?

`Django` is pronounced "JANG-go" (/ˈdʒæŋɡoʊ/) with a silent D, like jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Django FAQ.

→ entry + Django FAQ

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