How do you pronounce it?

[parsonsb]

do you say java-c (java see) or ja-vac(ja vak)

i personally say it like the latter

(Capitalised correctly) - mod

[EvanED]

I say "java-c".

Here's one... "char" as "char", as in "charred wood after a fire", "car", or "care"?

[SpitValve]

I call them char as in char.

Then there's gif - hard g or soft g?

[cmacis]

When friends discovered it I thought they were talking about gifts. Very weird.

How about c++? Never taken a programming class so I'm stumped on that one. Also brainf*** in a censored form

[EvanED]

Definitely soft G.

[SpitValve]

How about c++? Never taken a programming class so I'm stumped on that one.

"see plus plus"

Just how it's spelt

[evilbeanfiend]

c# pronounced 'dee flat'

[Captain_Thunder]

I read it as "javak". I hope I never have to say it out loud.

[smocc]

According to the creator of the GIF format, Steve Wilhite, "GIF" is pronounced like the peanut butter brand, Jif, with a soft "g". To fellow employees of CompuServe he would often say "Choosy developers choose GIF", spoofing commercials for the peanut butter.

There can be no dispute.

char is pronounced "car" and "java-c" is pronounced "java see".

Seriously, javak?

[Gelsamel]

'Char' pronounced 'car' is ambiguous I believe. Although you might be referring to a different 'char' then I am, since I'm no programmer .

[Andrew]

Mentally, I pronounce "char" like the word "char", but never say it in any case and would probably say "character" if I did. GIF is said with a hard G (like "gift") in my world, to distinguish it from lemon juice (and so the phrase "beware of geeks bearing gifs" is a better pun). I don't see any sense in pronouncing that one any other way. The name "C" is pronounced "see" regardless of what other words or vowels might be nearby. Everyone else is crazy.

[evilbeanfiend]

'Char' pronounced 'car' is ambiguous I believe. Although you might be referring to a different 'char' then I am, since I'm no programmer .

of course the other programming car is pronounced 'first'

[Gelsamel]

<--- Not a programmer.

[evilbeanfiend]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_and_cdr

[demon]

According to the creator of the GIF format, Steve Wilhite, "GIF" is pronounced like the peanut butter brand, Jif, with a soft "g".
wiki says so, but i don't comply. mainly because we don't have a soft g here. that is - we have a pretty similar consonant sound, but it doesn't look like a g at all, so my friends would prolly get confused.

[Andrew]

According to the creator of the GIF format, Steve Wilhite, "GIF" is pronounced like the peanut butter brand, Jif, with a soft "g".
wiki says so, but i don't comply. mainly because we don't have a soft g here. that is - we have a pretty similar consonant sound, but it doesn't look like a g at all, so my friends would prolly get confused.

If you say it with a hard G you don't have to pay them royalties.

[Dingbats]

Me:

char = care
GIF = hard g
javac = jav-ack
C++ = see plus plus

What about ==? Is it "equals" or "equals equals"?

[smocc]

'equals equals'!

# - hash, pound, or sharp (ignoring C#)

[EvanED]

What about ==? Is it "equals" or "equals equals"?

Usually "equals" because it's usually clear or unimportant from context. When I need to make a distinction, "double equals".

I sort of like "gets" for = or := and "equals" for ==, but saying "equals" is too entrenched for me to switch easily.

'equals equals'!

# - hash, pound, or sharp (ignoring C#)

Octothorpe.

No, I kid. I'm not sure what I usually use. Probably hash, but not very regularly.

[tallest]

Not really pronunciation but what about x/2? Do you say "x over 2" or "x upon 2".

And what about x_{0}. Do you say "x zero" or "x not"

[EvanED]

Not really pronunciation but what about x/2? Do you say "x over 2" or "x upon 2".

"x over 2" or "x divided by 2". Only heard it with "upon" from a class in one class pretty recently. [I was in the north-eastern US until even more recently.]

And what about x_{0}. Do you say "x zero" or "x not"

Depends on context. If it's something like the initial value of x, "x not". (Really that should be written "x nought".) If there are a sequence of xs, usually "x sub zero".

This isn't always clear cut. For instance, there are a sequence of infinities, aleph_0, aleph_1, aleph_2, ..., but despite this I say "aleph nought".

[Bluesprite]

And what about x_{0}. Do you say "x zero" or "x not"

"x sub-oh"

and for x_{k} in general: "x sub-k"

[demon]

Me:

What about ==? Is it "equals" or "equals equals"?

I once heard a guy do the most lovable pun while lecturing on some aspects of processor cache. He said "2 to the n-th power", simultaneously writing 1<<n .
ok, it's not as puntastic as today's comic, but it was fun.

[simen]

GIF: Hard g.
#: Usually hash, but I consider changing to mesh.
Char: As in character.
Javak: Never heard of it.

[SpitValve]

Javak: Never heard of it.

It's javac as in java compile.

x_{0} = x naught for me.

And gif = jif. Which is the name of a cleaning product here.

[Lothar]

javac : "java see"
char : "care"
gif : "jiff" (though sometimes I slip and say it with a hard g. I don't know why)
c++ : "see plus plus"
c# : "see sharp" (though I'm thinking of switching to "dee flat" )
car : "car"
== : "equals"
# : "pound"
= : "set _ to"
x/2 : "ecks over too"
x_{0} : "ecks sub zero"
aleph_0 : "aleph null"
x_{k} : "ecks sub k"

[SpitValve]

Then there's Greek...


phi = Fee, or Fye? (In Ancient Greek class we were taught that it was an aspirated p and is just pronounced pee actually)
xi = zye? (ksee?)

I'm also getting awfully fond of D flat

[Lothar]

phi : "fye"
xi : "ksye"
psi : "psye"

I guess I'm fond of the "eye" ending...

And my professor pronounces tau "taw" which drives me mad! XD

[bitwiseshiftleft]

Not really pronunciation but what about x/2? Do you say "x over 2" or "x upon 2".

Definitely "x over 2". I use "p on q" or "x upon q" for things like Legendre or Jacobi symbols.

So, how do y'all pronounce UNIX program names, like klogd? I'm not very consistent, but I usually pronounce the words as words and the initials as initials (kay-log-dee).

[Akira]

So, how do y'all pronounce UNIX program names, like klogd? I'm not very consistent, but I usually pronounce the words as words and the initials as initials (kay-log-dee).

first thought when i saw that was "clogged"...

<_< But then... I'm not a serious programmer, so....

^^;;

On the subject of how to read mathmatical equations--Knowledge/Quiz Bowl is horrible about that. They ahve some of the strangest equations sometimes that are supposed to be simple, but are written or read so oddly that you really have no clue.

[failed assertion]

= is "gets" (x = 10 is "ecks gets ten")
== is "is equal" or "equals"
char is "char" (not "car")
x_0 is "ecks sub zero"
0 is "zero," not "oh." (usually)

[tallest]

My favorite math pronunciations/quirks come from my senior level statistics teacher who is best known for pronouncing probability as "prabobalty" and the far more hillarious "which is greater, the prabobalty you get head or the prabobalty you get tail?"

[EvanED]

aleph_0 : "aleph null"

Oh wait... maybe I say that too. Man, I can't remember what I use now.

I probably switch between aleph null and aleph nought knowing me...

And my professor pronounces tau "taw" which drives me mad! XD

I had a professor who would pronounce alpha as "arva" and write it so it looked more like a really messy 2 then an alpha. The first time that came up half the class didn't know what the heck he was talking about, then a little murmur started to spread, "he means alpha".

[Lothar]

phi = Fee, or Fye? (In Ancient Greek class we were taught that it was an aspirated p and is just pronounced pee actually)

If a debate about this ever starts up, I'm inclined to start calling it "fo" or "fum."

[Drostie]

I've never met anyone who pronounces "psi" as "psee" or "xi" as "xee", so why does anyone pronounce "phi" like "fee"?

So long as pi is "pie," and chi is "kai" and psi is "[p]sai", I see no reason why phi shouldn't be "fie". Really, there's no excuse.

(But I use both pronunciations anyway, because I'm irrational.)

[SpitValve]

I've never met anyone who pronounces "psi" as "psee" or "xi" as "xee", so why does anyone pronounce "phi" like "fee"?

So long as pi is "pie," and chi is "kai" and psi is "[p]sai", I see no reason why phi shouldn't be "fie". Really, there's no excuse.

(But I use both pronunciations anyway, because I'm irrational.)

Because the Greek iota is pronounced like a short "ee" sound. So "psi" is supposed to be pronounced "psee". But because we're physicists/computer dudes/maths peeps/whatever, we don't need to care and we can call them whatever we feel like.

Also "iota" is supposed to have a consonental "i", so it's "yohta" instead of "eye-oh-tah", but do what you will

[Andrew]

# - hash, pound, or sharp (ignoring C#)

# is hash.
£ is pound.
These things are important.

(I loved that m2 once censored the name of a Weezer song to "H### Pipe".)

My favorite math pronunciations/quirks come from my senior level statistics teacher who is best known for pronouncing probability as "prabobalty" and the far more hillarious "which is greater, the prabobalty you get head or the prabobalty you get tail?"

He had a calculus teacher who couldn't say "integral" or "differentiate". He said "intregal" and "differenciate". Drove us crazy.

[Torn Apart By Dingos]

My favorite math pronunciations/quirks come from my senior level statistics teacher who is best known for pronouncing probability as "prabobalty" and the far more hillarious "which is greater, the prabobalty you get head or the prabobalty you get tail?"

He had a calculus teacher who couldn't say "integral" or "differentiate". He said "intregal" and "differenciate". Drove us crazy.

My Russian complex analysis teacher said "crush" instead of "cross". There's no reason for anyone to use the word cross that often, but he managed to get it into every lecture. I wonder if he did it for his own amusement.

[Shadowfish]

Here's another: ^
Is it pronouced "x-or" or "zor"?

[simen]

Here's another: ^
Is it pronouced "x-or" or "zor"?

Usually "carrot", but I pronounce the logic operator XOR as ksor.