X (letter)
X, x is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the twenty-fourth letter of most variants, being placed after W and before 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 numeral representing the number 10.
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 | |
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| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English spellings): 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.
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.
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