LoginThe Letter X
"X" is the twenty-fourth and third-to-last letter in the English alphabet. It is a consonant.
Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.
Uppercase Form | X |
|---|---|
Lowercase | x |
Name | ex (pronounced /ˈɛks/) |
Common Sound(s) | /ks/, /ɡz/, /Ø/, /z/, /kʃ/ |
The Letter X: Sounds
The letter "x" has five sounds:
Sound 1: /ks/
"x" at the end of words sound /ks/:
ox /ɑːks/
fax /fæks/
six /sɪks/
Sound 2: /ɡz/
"x" in the middle of words also sounds /gz/:
exam /ɪɡˈzæm/
anxiety /æŋˈzaɪəti/
Sound 3: /Ø/
"x" is silent in some French loanwords:
faux /foʊ/
roux /ɹuː/
pas de deux /ˌpɑː də ˈdɜː/
Sound 4: /z/
"x" at the beginning of words sounds /z/:
xylophone /ˈzaɪləˌfoʊn/
xenophobia /ˌziːnəˈfoʊbiə/
xanthan /ˈzænθən/
Sound 5: /kʃ/
"x" can also produce the sound /kʃ/:
anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/
obnoxious /əbˈnɑkʃəs/
sexual /ˈsekʃuəl/
The Letter X: Multigraphs
"x" can be combined with other letters, mainly consonants:
xh
"xh" sounds /gz/, in other words "h" is silent:
exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/
exhibit /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/
exhilarated /ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪd/
Tip!
Note that "xia" sounds /ʃ/ in the loanword "Xiaomi".
Warning!
"xu" sounds /ɡʒ/ or /kʃə/ in the middle of the word "luxury:"
luxury /ˈlʌɡʒəɹi/, /ˈlʌkʃəɹi/
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