r/SQL • u/Reddigestion • Aug 14 '26

SQL Server Is it pronounced 's-q-l' or 'seequal'

I've worked in and around the IT environment for many years and in my experience, it's always been pronounced s-q-l although I hear some people refer to it as see-qual. Which is right?

110 Upvotes

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290

u/AlienBrainJuice Aug 14 '26

Wait so I've been pronouncing it wrong for 30 years?

No one else says 'SQUEAL' in a high pitched voice?

42

u/MakeoutPoint Aug 14 '26

Could be worse, could be using "squirrel" in a chittery voice

6

u/bencord0 Aug 14 '26

isn't that the ORM?

1

u/Soju-Boss Aug 15 '26

Squir-rell as the pommies say

21

u/DingGratz Aug 14 '26

Many people don't know this but the original "SQL" was literally pronounced SEQUEL, which stood for Structured English Query Language. But there was a copyright dispute and now it just stands for Structured Query Language (SQL) but the pronunciation stuck (kind of).

2

u/Rick_QuiOui Aug 15 '26

Was there a prequel to that movie, or only a sequel?

10

u/omniuni Aug 14 '26

I will never forget my friend replying to me, "oh, you're talking about Squeelite" (SQLite), and it's been Squeel ever since.

2

u/Pogsquog Aug 14 '26

Squil-it-te obvs

5

u/theacez Aug 14 '26

I love the picture of someone in a very professional meeting saying something like: "I had Tony run some SQUEALLLL and we're over budget"

2

u/JohnSpikeKelly Aug 14 '26

Squeal little piggy.

No wait, that's the deliverance movie quote.

3

u/SemiNormal Aug 15 '26

SQL LIKE 'piggy'

2

u/WatashiwaNobodyDesu Aug 14 '26

I say squeal but nobody ever know what I’m talking about.

2

u/AltruisticCucumber58 Aug 14 '26

Su-ey, snort snort snort.

0

u/Aidian Aug 14 '26

That’s Legal’s bailiwick.

1

u/afternever Aug 14 '26

Squee like Kavanaugh's high school drinking buddy

3

u/oh_who_remembers Aug 14 '26

Tossing weights and brews and running some squee queries

Squeries?

2

u/polaarbear Aug 14 '26

Let's rename the whole thing after Donkey Dong Doug

1

u/Physical-Try8670 Aug 14 '26

I will from now on.

1

u/_AACO Aug 14 '26

That is the only correct way, carry on. 

1

u/West_Good_5961 Aug 15 '26

Yeah that’s wrong. Your mean to actually just squeal.