X (letter): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:01, 9 November 2024

Use in English

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

x, except when beginning a word, where it sounds like z or sh, combines the sound of k (kíng) and hissing s (síng): láx lazy sounds exactly like lácks hasn’t: bóx, fáx, áxe, éx-, México, cóxswain (which can also be pronounced like the surname Cóxon), éxcellent, síx, sáx, táx, Réx, fóx, fóxy, tóxic, máximum, exámine, Máx, Báx, wáx, Róxy.

The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.

Though normally ks, some speakers prefer to pronounce it gz, at least in words beginning ex- (but not including the prefix éx- former, where it would sound inappropriately like éggs): exáct, exámine, exàmple. Thus Bréxit has been rhymed with légs ít (*légzit), though most people rhyme it with wrécks ít.

Before -io- it sounds like -ksh- (IPA [kʃ]): nóxious, ánxious, compléxion (*nókshəs, *ángkshəs, *cəmplékshən).

Often it is followed by a redundant c: excépt, éxcise, excîte, éxcellent, although if followed by a back vowel (a, o, u) the c is pronounced k: éxcavate, AmE excŏriate BrE excóriate. Words with unstressed ex- can sound as if they begin éx- or íx-, according to the speaker.

But this x sound can also be written, before a front vowel, cc: áccident, *áxident, áccent, áccess, accépt, Occidéntal, cóccyx *kóxix.

x is itself a consonant cluster, and it begins the following accidental ones: xb, xcl, xl, xm, xt: óxbow, exclâim, áxle, Áxminster, extól.

Final nx is pronounced -ngks, IPA [ŋks]: lýnx, mínx, Sphínx, jínx, Mánx.

The pronunciation of ánxious is *ánkshəss, while anxîety is pronounced *angzîety.

Initial x is rare. In words from Greek it sounds like z: xylophone, Xénophon, xénophobe. This can be seen in the two differing x’s in Xërxês (*Zërxêez). It can also be initial, as well as medial, in Chinese names, where it always sounds like sh, IPA [ʃ]: Xinjiáng. In X-rây, the name of the letter X is pronounced: *éxray.

x also sounds like z in French plurals: tábleaux (*táblôz), pláteaux (*plátôz)—though in French these xs are silent unless closely followed by a vowel.

There is a silent French x in faux-pàs (*fô-pà).

xx is purely commercial: Éxxon, Bób B. Sóxx (a respelling of bóbby sócks).

Scientific uses

x: generic unknown quantity
X-ray

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{subpages}}
-'''X''' is the twenty-fourth letter of the [[English alphabet]].  Its name is pronounced like the prefix ''ex-''.
+'''X, x''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the twenty-fourth letter of most variants, being placed after [[W (letter)|W]] and before [[Y (letter)|Y]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈeks], like the prefix ''ex-''.
+X is also the [[Roman numerals|Roman numeral]] representing the number [[10]].
 ==Use in English==
-'''x''', except when beginning a word (when it sounds like z, and is rare) combines the sound of k (kíng) and hissing s (síng): láx ''lazy'' sounds exactly like lácks ''hasn’t''.
+{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
-Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): bóx, fáx, áxe, éx-, México, cóxswain, éxcellent, síx, sáx, táx, Réx, fóx, fóxy, tóxic, máximum, exámine, Máx, Báx, wáx, Róxy.
+'''x''', except when beginning a word, where it sounds like '''z''' or '''sh''',  combines the sound of '''k''' ('''kíng''') and hissing '''s''' ('''síng'''): '''láx''' ''lazy'' sounds exactly like '''lácks''' ''hasn’t'': '''bóx, fáx, áxe, éx-, México, cóxswain''' (which can also be pronounced like the surname '''Cóxon'''), '''éxcellent, síx, sáx, táx, Réx, fóx, fóxy, tóxic, máximum, exámine, Máx, Báx, wáx, Róxy'''.
+{{:English spellings/Accents}}
+Though normally '''ks''', some speakers prefer to pronounce it '''gz''', at least in words beginning '''ex'''- (but not including the prefix '''éx-''' ''former'', where it would sound inappropriately like '''éggs'''): '''exáct, exámine, exàmple'''. Thus '''Bréxit''' has been rhymed with '''légs ít''' (*légzit), though most people rhyme it with '''wrécks ít'''.
+Before -'''io'''- it sounds like -ksh- ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] [kʃ]): '''nóxious, ánxious, compléxion''' (*nókshəs, *ángkshəs, *cəmplékshən).
+Often it is followed by a redundant '''c''': '''excépt, éxcise, excîte, éxcellent''',
+although if followed by a back vowel ('''a, o, u''') the '''c''' is pronounced '''k''': '''éxcavate''', AmE '''excŏriate''' BrE '''excóriate'''.  Words with unstressed '''ex'''- can sound as if they begin '''éx'''- or íx-, according to the speaker.
-Some people prefer to pronounce it gz, at least in words beginning ex- (but not including the prefix éx- ''former''): exáct, exámine, exàmple.
+But this '''x''' sound can also be written, before a front vowel, '''cc''': '''áccident''', *áxident, '''áccent, áccess, accépt, Occidéntal, cóccyx''' *kóxix.
-Before -io- it sounds like ksh: nóxious, ánxious, compléxion.
+'''x''' is itself a consonant cluster, and it begins the following accidental ones: '''xb, xcl, xl, xm, xt''': '''óxbow, exclâim, áxle, Áxminster, extól'''.
-Often it is followed by a redundant c: excépt, éxcise, excîte, éxcellent
+Final '''nx''' is pronounced -ngks, IPA [ŋks]: '''lýnx, mínx, Sphínx, jínx, Mánx'''.
-although if followed by a back vowel (a, o, u) the c is pronounced k: éxcavate, excóriate, exhónerate (-xó-).  Words with unstressed ex- can sound as if they begin éx- or íx-, according to the speaker.
-But the x sound can also be written, before a front vowel, cc: áccident, áccent, áccess, accépt, Occidéntal, cóccyx.
+The pronunciation of '''ánxious''' is *ánkshəss, while '''anxîety''' is pronounced *angzîety.
-x is of course itself a consonant cluster, and it begins the following accidental ones: xb, xcl, xl, xm, xt: óxbow, exclâim, áxle, Áxminster, extól.
+Initial '''x''' is rare.  In words from Greek it sounds like '''z''': '''xylophone, Xénophon, xénophobe'''. This can be seen in the two differing '''x'''’s in '''Xërxês''' (*Zërxêez).  It can also be initial, as well as medial, in Chinese names, where it always sounds like '''sh''', IPA [ʃ]: '''Xinjiáng'''. In '''X-rây''', the name of the letter X is pronounced: *éxray.
-Final nx is pronounced -ngks: lýnx, mínx, Sphínx, jínx.
+'''x''' also sounds like '''z''' in French plurals: '''tábleaux''' (*táblôz), '''pláteaux''' (*plátôz)—though in French these '''x'''s are silent unless closely followed by a vowel.
-The pronunciation of ánxious is *ángshəss or *ánkshəss, while anxîety is pronounced *angzîety.
-Initial x is rare - and Greek - and sounds like z: xylophone, Xénophon, xénophobe.
+There is a silent French '''x''' in '''faux-pàs''' (*fô-pà).
-This can be seen in the two differing x’s in Xërxês (*Zërxêez).
-x also sounds like z in French plurals: tábleaux (*táblôz), pláteaux (*plátôz).
+'''xx''' is purely commercial: '''[[Exxon-Mobil|Éxxon]]''', '''[[Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans|Bób B. Sóxx]]''' (a respelling of '''bóbby sócks''').
-There is a silent French x in faux-pàs (*fô-pà).
+==Scientific uses==
-xx is purely commercial: [[Exxon-Mobil|Éxxon]], [[Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans|Bób B. Sóxx]] (a respelling of bóbby sócks).
+*''x'': generic unknown quantity
+*X-ray
-==See also==
+[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]
-*[[Spelling pronunciation]]
-*[[Letter (alphabet)]]
-*[[Alphabet]]
-*[[Writing system]]
-*[[Orthography]]
-*[[Written language]]
-*[[Writing]]
-[[Category:CZ Live]]

X (letter): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:01, 9 November 2024

Use in English

Scientific uses

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