French consonant
The letter X has several different pronunciations which can be determined for any given word with specific rules.
Soft pronunciation – like the X in the English word "fix" – phonetic symbol [ks]
– in front of a consonant
– at the end of a word or syllable*
 |
Par exemple… | ||
| the letter x | |||
| une expérience | experience, experiment | ||
| la taxe | tax | ||
* Exception: X at the end of numbers is pronounced like an S.
|
Par exemple… | |
| six | six | |
| dix | ten | |
Hard pronunciation – like the X in the English word "example" – phonetic symbol [gz]
– at the beginning of a word
– between two vowels in two different syllables
|
Par exemple… | ||
| le xylophone | xylophone | ||
| exact | exact, correct | ||
In a liaison or enchaînement, X is pronounced like a Z.
Related lessons
- Letter combination: XC
- Expressions with x
- Introduction to consonants
- French alphabet
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