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From: Bart <bc@freeuk.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Pronunciation of tuple
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:35:56 +0100
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On 15/08/2024 17:26, James Harris wrote:
> The term "tuple" appears a fair bit in programming but its pronunciation 
> is a source of some controversy.
> 
> 
> How do you pronounce "tuple"?

I don't think I've ever had to say it out loud!

Working in isolation for some many years, there are probably lots of 
terms and names that I don't know the pronounciation of. Sometimes a 
youtube lecture is the first time I hear a technical term spoken aloud.

(However, I prefer to say 'giga' as though it starts with 'j', even 
though most say it the other way.)

> 
> Like me, are you irritated when people pronounce it 'the wrong way'?
> 
> How can fellow programmers be persuaded to pronounce it 'properly'?
> 
> 
> Correct (IMO) is tu'ple with the first syllable ending in a long u.
> 

That sounds about right and how I'd guess it should be said.

But I typed it into Google Translate, told it to say it, and its 
pronounciation was 'tupple'.



> Wrong (IMO) is tup'le with the u being short.
> 
> As evidence of where a short and long u are similarly used in English:
> 
> super - su'per - long u
> supper - supp'er - short u
> 
> Also, supple - short u due to the double p.
> 
> The other reason is where I believe tuple comes from. Consider groups of 
> increasing numbers of items:
> 
> 0 - void
> 1 - single
> 2 - pair
> 3 - triple
> 4 - quadruple
> 5 - quintuple
> 6 - sextuple
> 7 - septuple
> 8 - octuple
> 
> etc, where the higher numbers end in "tuple".
> 
> leading to
> 
> n - n-tuple
> 
> I would say that the latter ones of those above, 4 to 8, are pronounced 
> with a long u which is, therefore, why there should be a long u in tuple.
> 
> Perhaps people who pronounce it tupple grew up reading comics about 
> supperman. ;-)


'quintuplet' sounds correct with a short 'u' and weird with a long 'u'.