The American X

The letter 'X' can be a bit tricky in English because it doesn't always make the same sound! Mastering these variations will help you sound more natural and confident.

How to make it

The /ks/ sound

1. Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate for the /k/ sound.
2. Release the /k/ and immediately bring the front of your tongue close to the alveolar ridge for the /s/ sound.

The /gz/ sound

1. Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate, vibrating your vocal cords for the voiced /g/ sound.
2. Release the /g/ and immediately bring the front of your tongue close to the alveolar ridge, vibrating your vocal cords for the voiced /z/ sound.

The /z/ sound

1. Bring the front of your tongue close to the alveolar ridge.
2. Vibrate your vocal cords as air flows through, creating the /z/ sound.

Watch out for

• Pronouncing 'X' as only /s/ or /z/ when it should be a blend — Remember that 'X' often represents two sounds together, like /ks/ or /gz/. Make sure to produce both parts of the blend.
• Confusing voiced and unvoiced sounds — The /ks/ blend is unvoiced, while /gz/ is voiced. Pay attention to whether your vocal cords are vibrating for the correct sound.
• Using /ks/ at the beginning of words — Words starting with 'X' almost always use the /z/ sound, not /ks/.

Words to try

For /ks/:

• box
• flex
• complex
• exit

For /gz/:

• exact
• exist
• exhale

For /z/ (at the beginning of words):

• Xenon
• Xylophone

💡 Practice listening for the different 'X' sounds in everyday speech to train your ear!