Pronunciation
The creators of the format pronounced GIF with a soft "G" /ˈdʒɪf/ as in "gin". An alternative pronunciation uses a hard "G" /ˈɡɪf/ as in "graphics", reflecting the expanded acronym. Both pronunciations are given as correct by the Oxford English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary.
According to Steve Wilhite, the creator of the GIF format, the original pronunciation deliberately echoes the American peanut butter brand, Jif, and the employees of CompuServe would often say "Choosy developers choose GIF", spoofing this brand's television commercials. This pronunciation was also identified by CompuServe in their documentation of a graphics display program called CompuShow.
Read more about this topic: Graphics Interchange Format