jargon - What is the correct pronunciation of “regex”?


The term regular expression is often shortened to regex. What is the correct pronunciation of the g in regex?


Is it like the g1 in gallium, or is it like the g2 in giraffe? I’ve heard it said both ways.



1.   IPA /g/
2.  IPA /dʒ/



Answer



On page 27 of Mastering Regular Expressions, Jeffrey Friedl states:



Instead, I normally use "regex." It just rolls right off the tongue ("it rhymes with "FedEx," with a hard g sound like "regular" and not a soft one like in "Regina") and it is amenable to a variety of uses like "when you regex ...," "budding regexers," and even "regexification."



So, if you are looking for an authoritative answer, the above is it.


In a footnote, Friedl also adds:



You might also come across the decidedly unsightly "regexp." I'm not sure how one would pronounce that, but those with a lisp might find it a bit easier.




FWIW, I pronounce it with the soft g simply because it sounds better to mine ears. However, most of the programmers I know do employ the hard g.


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