this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2025
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nginx ("engine x") is an HTTP web server, reverse proxy, content cache, load balancer, TCP/UDP proxy server, and mail proxy server. […] [1]

I still pronounce it as "n-jinx" in my head.

References

  1. Title (website): "nginx". Publisher: NGINX. Accessed: 2025-02-26T23:25Z. URI: https://nginx.org/en/.
    • §"nginx". ¶1.
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[–] EffortlessEffluvium@lemm.ee 34 points 1 day ago (6 children)

And I will always pronounce SQL as “squeal”

[–] gnu@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My brain first interpreted SQL as 'squirrel' and that now refuses to relinquish its claim as default pronunciation in my mind.

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[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

https://kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/SillySounds/english.ogg (from back when many english speakers were still insistent that the i in Linux should be pronounced "eye")

[–] zod000@lemmy.ml 28 points 1 day ago (5 children)

I've never heard it pronounced any other way than "engine x".

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 day ago

I've never heard it pronounced. Which is why I also thought it was "n-jinx"

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 1 day ago
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[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 day ago

This surprised me too. But that was in 2012 😂

[–] JDPoZ@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Oh boy - finally a modern internet nerd argument equivalent to the pronunciation of GIF!

[–] ad_on_is@lemm.ee 45 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] Klear@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (4 children)
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[–] Admetus@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 day ago (4 children)

As always, first impressions count. There is no way I'm starting to call it engine x now, except for fun.

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[–] Railcar8095@lemm.ee 12 points 1 day ago
[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 19 points 1 day ago (11 children)

I thought it was pronounced N-G-N-X

[–] shasta@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 5 points 1 day ago

To be or not to be, that is the question

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[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)
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[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I've always pronounced it "In-jen-iks". I blame Jurassic Park and it's fictional biotech company InGen, but it does kinda also sound like "eugenics". But I dunno man, if you want everyone to pronounce your software a specific way maybe spell it in a manner where the pronunciation is more obvious? Just a thought.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 129 points 2 days ago (37 children)

And JSON is pronounced “javascripton“

[–] KickMeElmo@sopuli.xyz 86 points 2 days ago

Oh my god it's Javascripton Bourne!

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[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 49 points 1 day ago

I've always pronounced it "not-Apache"

[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The correct way is njinx because enginex is a dumb spelling and is too much like twitter

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[–] perviouslyiner@lemmy.world 91 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (11 children)

There's a linux file called fstab which is often pronounced f-s-tab because it's a table of file systems. It was somewhat surprising to hear Dave Plummer pronounce it as "f-stab", as in stabbing someone...

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

"F-stab" is just more fun to say.

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 64 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It'll forever be F-stab in my head

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[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

f-s-tab is feeble. Unsatisfactory. Bureaucratic.

f-stab is jocose. Nonchalant. Sharp.

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[–] Kissaki@programming.dev 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I always pronounced it engine-x (fluent as one word) but never thought of it meaning engine lol

n gin x -> en gin ex -> "enginex" spoken, nginx thought

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[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 95 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I've been pronouncing it N-gin-X, which is probably close enough once slurred together

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[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 58 points 2 days ago (4 children)
[–] Kelly@programming.dev 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My workplace calls it "n-jinx", we know its nonstandard but its still what is understood by the team.

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

am i the only one who thought it was nyuh-inks

[–] Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

No ^[1.1]^.

EDIT 2025-02-28T10:17Z: Actually, @Aatube@kbin.melroy.org, I was wrong in my initial interpretation ^[1.2]^. So, from what I can tell, you are, in actuality, the only one itt! 😊

References

  1. Type: Post. "TIL that "nginx" is pronounced "engine-x", and not "n-jinx"". Author: "Kalcifer" @Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works. Publisher: "Programmer Humor" !programmer_humor@programming.dev. sh.itjust.works. Lemmy. Published: 2025-02-26T23:27:35Z. URI: https://sh.itjust.works/post/33487588.
    1. Type: Comment. Author: @SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world. Published: 2025-02-27T00:18:34Z. Accessed: 2025-02-28T06:38Z. URI: https://sh.itjust.works/post/33487588/16948274.
      • I always heard it as /ŋiŋks/ in my mind

    2. Type: Comment. Author: @SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world. Published: 2025-02-28T09:09:54. Accessed: 2025-02-28T10:24Z. URI: https://sh.itjust.works/post/33487588/16975245.

      Nope.

      • The thread from which that quote originated was as follows:

        TIL that "nginx" is pronounced "engine-x", and not "n-jinx" […]

        I always heard it as /ŋiŋks/ in my mind

        Do you mean /ɲiɲks/? […]

        Nope.

[–] vanta@lemm.ee 44 points 2 days ago (7 children)

like how curl in my head is "curl" and not "c-url"

[–] 0x0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 52 points 1 day ago

It is pronounced like "curl" though!

We pronounce curl with an initial k sound. It rhymes with words like girl and earl. This is a short WAV file to help you:

https://media.merriam-webster.com/soundc11/c/curl0001.wav

https://curl.se/docs/faq.html#What_is_cURL

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[–] blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk 9 points 1 day ago (4 children)

If you want people to pronounce your project name correctly you should spell it that way. Having a FAQ on pronunciation means you've messed up and lost already. Want it to be called "Engine X"? Call it "Engine X".

My favourite is SAP not wanting people to call it Sap but to spell it out S.A.P. Well sorry, but it's a CVC word, literally the first kind of word everyone learns.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 3 points 22 hours ago

even a dash, ngin-x, would do it really

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[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wait, so this isn't a testosterone supplement?

[–] FrostyCaveman@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

When this baby hits 200rps, you’re gonna get some hairs on your chest

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)
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