io.github.anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce
How engineers pronounce developer jargon — 1,903 confidence-tagged entries with citations.
Open source Open in the app JSON README (API)
About
How engineers pronounce developer jargon — 1,903 confidence-tagged entries with citations.
Details
- Kind
- MCP servers
- Topic
- No topic detected
- Publisher
- anzy-renlab-ai
- Origin
- official
- Category
- ferramentas
- Transport
- local
- Version
- 0.1.2
- Stars
- 39
- Last push
- 2026-09-01T10:54:22Z
- Repository state
- ativo
- Language
- Python
- License
- MIT
- Added
- 2026-08-29 03:02:26
- Updated
- 2026-09-01 10:00:07
- Origin id
io.github.anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce
README
<h1 align="center">🔊 say-it · Pronounce</h1>
<p align="center"><strong>Stop saying "kub-cuttle". One Bash command pronounces 1,903 developer jargon names — most with a cited source.</strong></p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce?style=social" alt="GitHub stars"></a>
<a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/live-pronounce.renlab.ai-7adfbb?logo=safari&logoColor=white" alt="Live site"></a>
<a href="LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg" alt="License"></a>
<a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/browse"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/dictionary-1903%20entries-8fd694" alt="Entries"></a>
<a href="https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sayit.pronounce"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/VS_Code_Marketplace-install-007ACC?logo=visualstudiocode" alt="Install from VS Code Marketplace"></a>
<a href="https://open-vsx.org/extension/sayit/pronounce"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Open_VSX-install-8fd694" alt="Install from Open VSX"></a>
<a href="docs/github-action.md"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/GitHub_Action-Pronounce_Docs-2088FF?logo=githubactions&logoColor=white" alt="Pronounce Docs GitHub Action"></a>
</p>
<p align="center">
🌐 <a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai"><strong>pronounce.renlab.ai</strong></a> ·
🇨🇳 <a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/zh" hreflang="zh-Hans">中文</a> ·
📖 <a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/browse">Browse</a> ·
🎯 <a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/quiz">Quiz</a> ·
🎤 <a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/#hero-search">Voice search</a> ·
🔌 <a href="mcp-server/">MCP server</a>
· ⚙️ <a href="docs/github-action.md">GitHub Action</a>
</p>
<p align="center"><img src="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/demo.gif" alt="say-it kubectl — terminal demo" width="720"></p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce/releases/download/v2.5.0/promo.mp4"><strong>▶ Watch the 47-second promo</strong> (with voice)</a> ·
<a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/quiz">🎯 Try the quiz</a> ·
<a href="https://pronounce.renlab.ai/#hero-search">🎤 Voice search</a>
</p>
---
## 🚀 Try it in 30 seconds
```bash
git clone https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce.git
cd pronounce && ./install.sh
say-it kubectl
```
That's it. Now try `say-it GIF`, `say-it nginx`, `say-it Pydantic`, `say-it --why JSON`, or `say-it quiz` for a 10-question challenge. **Linux** users: install `espeak-ng` (`sudo apt install espeak-ng`) and the CLI just works. **Windows**: same CLI under WSL or git-bash + PowerShell. Or skip install and use the browser at **[pronounce.renlab.ai](https://pronounce.renlab.ai)**.
> ⭐ If `say-it kubectl` saves you one cringey standup moment — **[star the repo](https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce)**. It nudges more devs to contribute their favorite mispronounced project name.
<p align="center"><a href="https://star-history.com/#anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce&Date"><img src="https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce&type=Date" alt="Star history" width="600"></a></p>
---
## 🏆 The developer pronunciation scoreboard
**1,903 entries — 1,283 carry a citable source** — **108 settled by the creator themselves**, **175 the community still argues about.** The famous ones:
### ✅ Settled — the creator said so
| Word | It's… | …not | Settled by |
|------|-------|------|-----------|
| **[GIF](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/gif)** | "jif" | "ghif" (hard-G speech cue) | Steve Wilhite (creator), NYT 2013 |
| **[nginx](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/nginx)** | "engine X" | "n-jinx" | NGINX official |
| **[YAML](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/yaml)** | "yam-ul" | "yammel" | yaml.org |
| **[GNU](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/gnu)** | "guh-NEW" (hard g) | "noo" | GNU Project |
| **[LaTeX](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/latex)** | "lay-tek" | "lay-teks" | Lamport / LaTeX project |
| **[TOML](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/toml)** | rhymes with "knoll" | "tom-el" | Tom Preston-Werner (creator) |
| **[Tcl](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/tcl)** | "tickle" | "T-C-L" | John Ousterhout (creator) |
| **[awk](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/awk)** | "auk" (like the bird) | "A-W-K" | Aho / Weinberger / Kernighan |
### ⚔️ Still contested — both readings are in active use
| Word | Camp A | Camp B |
|------|--------|--------|
| **[kubectl](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/kubectl)** | "koob-control" | "cube-cuddle" |
| **[SQL](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/sql)** | "sequel" | "S-Q-L" |
| **[JSON](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/json)** | "JAY-son" | "JEE-son" |
| **[GUI](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/gui)** | "gooey" | "G-U-I" |
| **[JWT](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/word/jwt)** | "jot" (per RFC 7519) | "J-W-T" |
Every cell has IPA and audio; 1,283 also carry a citable source. **[Browse all 1,903 entries →](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/browse)**
> Disagree with one? That's the whole point — [open a PR](CONTRIBUTING.md) with your reading and a source. The argument *is* the dataset.
---
## What you're actually getting
- **1,903 entries — 1,283 carry a citable source.** Confidence-tagged (`creator-clarified` / `community-consensus` / `contested`), each with a citable URL where one exists (we'd rather leave it blank than fabricate one). Wilhite said GIF is "jif" at the 2013 Webby Awards. Crockford says JSON is "JAY-son" (RailsConf 2009). RFC 7519 says JWT is "jot". The dictionary cites them.
- **Multi-reading audio.** For words where the debate is real — GIF, SQL, GUI, char, regex — the CLI chains the alternates after the primary with a spoken "or:" so you *hear* the debate without staring at the terminal. `--solo` skips the tail once you've internalized it.
- **One Bash CLI, no npm runtime.** No sudo, no framework bootstrap, no surprises. It detects macOS `say`, Linux `espeak-ng`/`espeak`, or Windows PowerShell `System.Speech`. The repo also ships a [Claude Code skill](skills/pronounce-word/SKILL.md) and an [MCP server](mcp-server/) so your AI answers "how do you pronounce X?" with **audio**, not a phonetic guess.
- **A docs-native GitHub Action.** Scan Markdown changed by a pull request and emit a sourced pronunciation glossary in the job summary — no API key, dependency install, or network request.
- **Canonical website audio.** The site plays each committed canonical MP3 first and uses Web Speech only as a fallback if playback fails.
```bash
$ say-it --why JSON
word JSON
ipa /ˈdʒeɪsən/
respelling_us jay son
confidence contested
source Wikipedia § Pronunciation
url https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON#Pronunciation
```
---
## Why not just Google?
Because Google gives you 47 Reddit arguments and a YouTube clip you have to unmute. IPA gives you `/ˈkuːb kənˌtroʊl/` — a reference, not a teacher.
You don't need a phonetic transcription. You need to **hear** the word. Twice. Maybe three times. Done.
`say-it` ships a community-maintained dictionary of how engineers actually say the names that trip everyone up — and feeds the *intended* respelling to your OS's text-to-speech engine, so `kubectl` comes out as `koob-control`, not whatever your computer guessed from the letters.
## Famous moments
Some pronunciations aren't opinions — the creators settled them. The dictionary cites every one:
| Word | Reading | Source |
|------|---------|--------|
| `GIF` | "jif" (creator says so) | [Steve Wilhite, Webby Awards 2013](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/business/media/creator-of-the-gif-says-its-pronounced-jif.html) |
| `JSON` | "jay-son" | [Douglas Crockford, RailsConf 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C-JoyNuQJs) |
| `GNU` | "g-noo" (hard G, one syllable) | [GNU Project official](https://www.gnu.org/gnu/pronunciation.html) |
| `Linux` | "LIN-ux" (short i, schwa) | [Linus Torvalds himself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IfHm6R5le0) |
| `LaTeX` | "lay-tek" (or "lah-tek") | [Leslie Lamport, official](https://www.latex-project.org/about/) |
| `Django` | "JANG-go" (silent D) | [Django FAQ](https://www.djangoproject.com/foundation/faq/) |
| `Vue` | "view" (one syllable) | [Evan You, Vue docs](https://vuejs.org/) |
| `Vite` | "veet" (French for *quick*) | [Vite docs](https://vitejs.dev/) |
| `Knative` | "KAY-native" (the K is voiced) | [Knative docs](https://knative.dev/) |
| `etcd` | "et-cee-dee" (et-cetera-distributed) | [etcd FAQ](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/faq/) |
Run `say-it --why <word>` to see the citation when an entry has a `source_url`; unsourced entries are left blank rather than given a fabricated URL.
## Install
```bash
brew install anzy-renlab-ai/tap/say-it # Homebrew on macOS
```
Or the "Try it in 30 seconds" block above. `./install.sh` drops:
- the CLI at `~/.local/bin/say-it`,
- the pronunciation dictionary at `~/.local/share/say-it/pronunciations.tsv`,
- if you use [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code), a `pronounce-word` skill at `~/.claude/skills/pronounce-word/` so any "how do you say X?" prompt to your AI gets answered with **audio** instead of IPA,
- the same skill into `~/.agents/skills/` ([Codex CLI](integrations/codex/)) and `~/.kiro/skills/` ([Kiro](integrations/kiro/)) when those dirs exist — it's the cross-tool [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) standard.
Make sure `~/.local/bin` is on your `$PATH`. **Linux** also works — install `espeak-ng` (`sudo apt install espeak-ng` / `brew install espeak-ng`). **Windows**: WSL or git-bash + PowerShell. Or skip install entirely with the browser version at **[pronounce.renlab.ai](https://pronounce.renlab.ai)**.
## Usage
```bash
say-it kubectl # primary × 3, then "or: <alt>" for each alternate
say-it --solo kubectl # primary only — silence the "or:" tail
say-it --alt GIF # focus on the first alternate
say-it --alt 2 GUI # focus on the Nth alternate (1-indexed)
say-it --all SQL # primary AND every alternate, each repeated
say-it --no-dict kubectl # bypass the dictionary entirely
say-it --why JSON # show IPA, source URL, category, confidence
say-it list # every word in the dictionary
say-it search redis # grep the dictionary (case-insensitive)
say-it -n 5 Pydantic # 5 repetitions instead of 3
say-it -r 110 Knative # slower (110 wpm; default is 130)
say-it -o /tmp/word.aiff Postgres # save to file instead of playing
say-it --list # all macOS voices
```
The default macOS voice is `Samantha` (General American); `-v <voice>` selects another macOS voice. Linux and Windows use their detected backend's English voice. The dictionary is GenAm-only, by design.
## Claude Code integration
Install the cross-tool Agent Skill directly with GitHub CLI:
```bash
gh skill install anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce pronounce-word
```
```
You: kubectl 怎么读？
Claude: 🔊 (plays "koob-control" three times)
/ˈkuːb kənˌtroʊl/ — "KOOB-control". Kelsey Hightower says it
this way (KubeCon talk). "Cube-cuddle" is an alternate —
try `say-it --alt kubectl` to hear it.
```
Once installed, the `pronounce-word` skill auto-triggers on:
- `X 怎么读` / `X 怎么发音` / `读一下 X`
- `how do you pronounce X` / `pronounce X` / `how do you say X`
Your AI replies with **sound**, not just a phonetic guess. Skill file: [`skills/pronounce-word/SKILL.md`](skills/pronounce-word/SKILL.md).
**Not on Claude?** Same skill drops into [Codex CLI](integrations/codex/) (`codex plugin marketplace add anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce`) and [Kiro](integrations/kiro/) (`~/.kiro/skills/`), and the [MCP server](mcp-server/) covers Claude Desktop, Cursor, Continue, Zed, Cline & friends — full matrix in [`integrations/`](integrations/).
[](https://kiro.dev/launch/mcp/add?name=pronounce&config=%7B%22command%22%3A%22uvx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22--from%22%2C%22git%2Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fanzy-renlab-ai%2Fpronounce.git%23subdirectory%3Dmcp-server%22%2C%22pronounce-mcp%22%5D%7D)
## GitHub Action — pronunciation guides for docs
Add a pronunciation glossary to every documentation pull request:
```yaml
- uses: actions/checkout@v7.0.1
with:
fetch-depth: 0
- id: pronounce
uses: anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce@v2.28.1
```
`Pronounce Docs` scans changed Markdown/MDX and writes a table containing each
matched term, its IPA, plain-English respelling, audio page, and creator or
official source where available. It runs locally from the repository snapshot:
no token, API key, telemetry, package install, or network request. See the
[complete setup, inputs, and outputs](docs/github-action.md).
## VS Code extension
[](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sayit.pronounce) [](https://open-vsx.org/extension/sayit/pronounce)
Hover over any tech word in any file — see the IPA, hear the pronunciation. Same 1,903-entry dictionary as the CLI, JSON-bundled at build (zero runtime parse cost).
```bash
# Cursor / VSCodium / Zed / Gitpod / Theia / code-server (Open VSX)
code --install-extension sayit.pronounce
# or the listing: https://open-vsx.org/extension/sayit/pronounce
```
**Now live on Microsoft Marketplace too**: `ext install sayit.pronounce` in VS Code. See [marketplace listing](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sayit.pronounce).
- **Hover** over `kubectl`, `YAML`, `Ghostty`, `wagmi`… → tooltip with IPA + 🔊 Play + ★ Star link.
- **⌘⇧'** — speak selection.
- **Status bar** `🔊 sayit` — click to speak the current selection.
- **Welcome walkthrough** — 4-step onboarding on first install.
- **`Pronounce: Search dictionary…`** — fuzzy-find all 1,903 entries.
Source: [`integrations/vscode/`](integrations/vscode/). **Cross-platform as of v0.3** — macOS `say`, Linux `espeak-ng`, Windows PowerShell.
## Chrome / Edge / Brave extension
Click any tech word on any webpage → popup with IPA + audio. Same 1,903-entry dictionary. The extension speaks through Web Speech; `pronounce.renlab.ai` plays the committed MP3 corpus first and reserves Web Speech for fallback. **Sideload only for now** (not yet on Chrome Web Store).
Download [`pronounce-chrome-0.3.1.zip`](integrations/chrome/pronounce-chrome-0.3.1.zip) → unzip → `chrome://extensions/` → Developer mode → Load unpacked.
Source: [`integrations/chrome/`](integrations/chrome/).
## How the dictionary works
`data/pronunciations.tsv` is the single source of truth — tab-separated, 1,903 entries, covering:
- **Cloud / DevOps:** `kubectl`, `nginx`, `Kubernetes`, `helm`, `Istio`, `Envoy`, `Prometheus`, `Grafana`, `Terraform`, `Argo`, `Knative`, `etcd`, `containerd`, `runc`, `Podman`, ...
- **Languages / Frameworks:** `Django`, `Vue`, `Vite`, `Pydantic`, `Bun`, `Deno`, `Hugo`, `Hono`, `Caddy`, `Svelte`, `Astro`, `Pinia`, ...
- **Databases:** `PostgreSQL`, `Postgres`, `SQLite`, `MySQL`, `MongoDB`, `Cassandra`, `Redis`, `Ceph`, `ScyllaDB`, `ClickHouse`, `DuckDB`, ...
- **CS jargon / acronyms:** `GIF`, `JSON`, `SQL`, `GUI`, `GNU`, `char`, `regex`, `sudo`, `tmux`, `chmod`, `WYSIWYG`, `ASCII`, `enum`, `NaN`, `SaaS`, `PaaS`, ...
- **Distros / tools:** `Linux`, `Debian`, `Ubuntu`, `Arch`, `Nix`, `LaTeX`, `TeX`, `emacs`, `zsh`, ...
Each entry has 10 columns: `word | ipa | respelling_us | alt_ipa | alt_respelling_us | source_url | source_label | category | confidence | notes`. `respelling_us` is plain English-like input passed to the detected OS TTS backend, so the intended reading is spoken instead of asking the engine to guess from the project name.
Local override: drop a `~/.config/say-it/pronunciations.local.tsv` and it takes precedence.
## What works today
- ✅ macOS — built-in `say`.
- ✅ Linux — `espeak-ng` (preferred) or `espeak`.
- ✅ Windows — PowerShell `System.Speech` from the same Bash CLI under Git Bash/MSYS2/Cygwin.
- ✅ 1,903 entries; 1,283 carry a citable source — the rest are confidence-tagged, no fabricated citations.
- ✅ **Audible multi-reading awareness** — contested words audibly chain alternates with "or:".
- ✅ `--alt [N]`, `--all`, `--solo`, `--why`, `--json`, `--md`, `--no-dict`, `list`, `search`, `quiz`, `repl`, `stream`, `doctor`, `export`, `benchmark`, `badge`, `cheatsheet`.
- ✅ Claude Code skill + MCP server for AI-side pronunciation questions.
- ✅ GitHub Action — sourced pronunciation glossaries for Markdown pull requests.
- ✅ Browser PWA — installable, offline-capable, instant search, voice-mic search, interactive quiz.
- ✅ Editor integrations — Raycast, Alfred, VS Code, Cursor, Codex, Kiro, Continue.
- ✅ **🌐 Live site** — [pronounce.renlab.ai](https://pronounce.renlab.ai) (1,903 entries browsable with audio; 1,283 sourced entries) + [/zh](https://pronounce.renlab.ai/zh) (Chinese landing).
## What's coming
See [`DESIGN.md`](DESIGN.md) for the architecture.
- **☁️ Cloud TTS** (opt-in ElevenLabs / OpenAI) for the names native TTS still mangles.
- **📚 Anki export** for vocabulary drills.
- **🌗 Light theme on the v2 homepage** (already shipped on word/SEO pages).
## Contributing
Two things we want most:
1. **Pronunciation entries.** Open a PR adding a row to `data/pronunciations.tsv`. Required columns: `word`, `ipa`, `respelling_us`. Highly preferred: `source_url` (creator interview, conf talk, official FAQ — anything verifiable). Contested readings are welcome; put the rival in `alt_*` columns and we'll wire `--alt` through.
2. **Backend quality.** macOS (`say`) is the gold standard; the Linux (`espeak-ng`) and Windows (PowerShell) backends ship but are best-effort — help us close the gap. See `DESIGN.md` §Backends.
Keep it tiny. Keep it dep-free where possible. Keep the defaults opinionated (3 reps, GenAm, Samantha voice).
## ⭐ Support — start with a star
The dictionary is free and MIT. **The single highest-leverage thing you can do is star the repo** — it's the signal that pulls in more contributors, more PRs, more creator-clarified entries.
- **⭐ [Star on GitHub →](https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce)** — one click, no signup, biggest effect.
Optional, if it's saved you real standup pain:
- ☕ [Coffee on Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/alvinanziyan) — pays for one new entry per cup.
- 💚 [Sponsor on GitHub](https://github.com/sponsors/anzy-renlab-ai) — recurring tier (pending Sponsors approval).
Dollars cover hosting (Vercel/Cloudflare/Open VSX), domain renewals, MiniMax narration credits for promo videos, and time to track down creator citations for new entries.
## Contributors
<a href="https://github.com/anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce/graphs/contributors"><img src="https://contrib.rocks/image?repo=anzy-renlab-ai/pronounce" alt="Contributors"></a>
Every entry, source upgrade, and skill fix counts. Open a PR — your face shows up here.
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
---
> *IPA is a reference. Audio is a teacher.*