其实这个问题困惑好久了，最早听到这个大概是15年前吧。那时候金蝶会计软件在一个宣讲会上面提到他们的数据库是基于SQL，我一直读S-Q-L。去年的时候，跟哥哥提到这个概念，他当时读的是Sequel,而且人家是计算机行家，总是他对吧。就像咱们会计不也是LIFO,FIFO拼在一起读，而不是一个字母一个字母读么。

今天又要讲到SQL，于是放狗查了下，还真有严肃认真的人找SQL语言的开发者之一寻求了答案。庆幸的是，开发者也严肃认真的回了邮件。下面就是全文引用的那篇博客，很有意思。

http://patorjk.com/blog/2012/01/26/pronouncing-sql-s-q-l-or-sequel/

Pronouncing SQL: S-Q-L or Sequel?

I know, I know, tomato-tomato, but I’ve had people tell me I sayit wrong when said each way, which has left me rather confused, soI decided to do some research and figure out how SQL is actuallypronounced. SQL is the language used for querying and managing datain a relational database system. Some people say S-Q-L and somepeople say “sequel”. This difference in pronunciation also effectsthe writing of documentation. The indefinite article that’s usedbefore the term (a or an) is based on how it’s pronounced (trysaying “a SQL” and “an SQL”). No one wants to sound ignorant, sowhich way is correct? It turns out they’re both correct/acceptable,but that the S-Q-L way of saying it is more “official”.

SQL was initially developed at IBM by DonaldChamberlin and Raymond Boyce.It was initially called “Structured English Query Language”(SEQUEL) and pronounced “sequel”, though it later had to have it’sname shortened to “Structured Query Language” (SQL) due totrademark issues. It was created to supplant the then popularQUELdatabase language, and the name “sequel” was meant as a pun (it wasthe sequel to QUEL) [1]. However, this leads to the big question –was language still called “sequel” after the name change?

If you look at Oracle’s official documentation on SQL, it saysit’s still pronounced “sequel” [2]. However, if you look at MySQL’sofficial documentation, it says “MySQL” is officially pronounced“‘My Ess Que Ell’ (not ‘my sequel’)” [3], and Wikipedia says SQL isofficially pronounced “S-Q-L” and references an O’Reilly book onthe subject [4]. So this is no help, the major sources aren’tagreeing on the way it’s “officially” pronounced.

Then a thought occurred to me: SQL was created in the 70′s, thecreators are probably techies, I can probably just email them andask them how it’s pronounced! Ray Boyce had passed away at a youngage, but Don Chamberlin was alive and now teaching at a university.I felt a little silly, but I decided to fire off a short email tohim:

Hello Don,

I’m sorry to waste your time with such a silly question, butI’ve often heard SQL pronounced S-Q-L or as Sequel. I’ve also seenthe official pronunciation listed both ways. According towikipedia, you and Raymond Boyce created the language and it wasshortened to SQL after some legal dispute. So my question is, isthere an official pronunciation to SQL? Thank you for yourtime.

- Pat

To my delight, he replied back:

Hi Pat,

Since the language was originally named SEQUEL, many peoplecontinued to pronounce the name that way after it was shortened toSQL. Both pronunciations are widely used and recognized. As towhich is more “official”, I guess the authority would be the ISOStandard, which is spelled (and presumably pronounced) S-Q-L.

Thanks for your interest,
Don Chamberlin

I felt a little dumb wasting his time with such a goofyquestion, but I was thrilled he replied back. Later I would findout that he himself pronounces it as “sequel” [5], so it’sinteresting he would be so unbiased, though I suppose hispronunciation is consistent with him noting that the original guyskept calling it “sequel”. With this I felt I had found my answer:Both were acceptable, though the standard indicated S-Q-L wasprobably more official.

I don’t have any plans to be that guy and startcorrecting people who say “sequel”, though now I feel I can atleast defend saying S-Q-L if someone tries to correct me.Additionally, while this may seem like a really trivial matter,some people seem to take it rather seriously. On a thread atOracle’s message forum, a DBA who pronounces it “sequel” mentionedthat “I’ve rejected interviewees because they didn’t know how topronounce SQL … If you can’t pronounce it correctly, then I havedoubts as to your ability to use it correctly.” [6] Though thenagain, the Oracle community seems to have adopted the “sequel” wayof saying it, so maybe adapting to whatever environment you’re inis the best policy. Whatever the case, knowing why it’s said oneway or another can useful.

[1] http://www.ibphoenix.com/resources/documents/design/doc_123
[2] http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B10501_01/server.920/a96540/intro.htm
[3] http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E17952_01/refman-5.1-en/what-is-mysql.html
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sql
[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghxpXpTuALM#t=33m23s

[6] https://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=630585&start=15&tstart=0

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