This article is a work-in-progress.
Jargon usage is one of many ways hiring managers, potential clients, and others judge your knowledge on a topic. You likely know that jargon refers to vocabulary understood by only individuals "in the know" about a subject. What you might not know, or at least might not be consciously aware of, is that you are not just judged on which terms you use or how you incorporate them into a message, but also how you pronounce them. The most common example I encounter is that of "SQL".
The two primary pronounciations are saying the letters "S-Q-L" and combining it into a single word, "sequel". Which is correct?
The official MySQL Reference Manual states: "The official way to pronounce 'MySQL' is 'My Ess Que Ell' (not 'my sequel'), but we do not mind if you pronounce it as 'my sequel' or in some other localized way." (mySQL Reference Manual Link) The mySQL dev team seems to view "S-Q-L" as the correct pronunciation, but does not view "sequel" as a wrong pronunciation, which is an important distinction. The fact "sequel" is a common enough pronunciation to be specifically mentioned in official documentation is good evidence to its long-running pervasiveness. So where did it come from?
SQL was originally named SEQUEL for Structured English QUEry Language in the 1970's, but a trademark cease and desist from Hawker Siddeley (a UK-based aircraft company) resulted in a name change to SQL for Structured Query Language. While it is possible that the original name stayed prevalent due to habit, I disagree with the common assertation that this is the primary cause of "sequel" being a common pronunciation.
1. SQL was only named SEQUEL for about half a decade.
2. The first commercially available product to implement SQL was released after the rename.
3. Almost everyone who worked in software while SQL was SEQUEL has either retired or, unfortunately, passed away.
I find it improbable that a name as short-lived as SEQUEL that was never used commercially and only by people who have since retired or died would establish a pronunciation that has persisted nearly 50 years past its renaming. Memetics, in-group culture, and ease of pronunciation offer much more compelling logic for the persistance of the "sequel" pronunciation.
Some people find "sequel" easier to say, while others spell out "S-Q-L" in an attempt to avoid confusion. Many people do not consciously think about it.