How is SQL pronounced?

SQL is most commonly pronounced "sequel" (/ˈsiːkwəl/). ANSI: "S-Q-L"; practitioner: "sequel" (heir to IBM SEQUEL).

Is SQL sometimes pronounced "S Q L"?

Yes — "S Q L" (/ˌɛs kjuː ˈɛl/) is one of the alternate readings in active use.

How to pronounce SQL (and the alternate readings)

How to pronounce SQL

acronym contested

sequel /ˈsiːkwəl/

or: S Q L /ˌɛs kjuː ˈɛl/

SQL is most commonly pronounced "sequel" (/ˈsiːkwəl/). This is one of several readings in active use; the developer community hasn't converged on a single answer.

ANSI: "S-Q-L"; practitioner: "sequel" (heir to IBM SEQUEL).

Alternate readings you might hear:

"S Q L" /ˌɛs kjuː ˈɛl/

Source: Wikipedia § Pronunciation

Pronouncing project and product names correctly avoids the small but persistent friction of being gently corrected during standups, conference Q&As, and team calls. Hearing the word a few times locks in the right reading better than reading IPA ever will. Pronounce is a community-maintained dictionary — every entry tagged with a confidence level and (where possible) a citable source.

Hear it from the command line

$ say-it SQL # primary × 3 + audible "or: …" for each alternate

$ say-it --alt SQL # focus on the first alternate

$ say-it --all SQL # primary AND every alternate, each repeated

$ say-it --solo SQL # primary only, no "or: …" tail

$ say-it --why SQL # print the dict entry with source URL

Install the CLI: git clone https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce.git && cd pronounce && ./install.sh

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How to pronounce SQL

Hear it from the command line

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