x as [ks], x as [gz]

1. GRAPHEME X

2. Even just the name “Caleb” is soft,
ordinary, boring.
“Xavier” evokes excitement,
Extra-ordinariness,
exclamations of sexy exasperation,
excellence,
explicit exploration.
But with all of that exhilaration,
disappointment trails along.
Disappointment because I am not
worthy of something so wonderful,
someone so perfectly imperfect,
someone whose very flaws are poetic.
Chapped lips
Firm kiss
Round belly
Iron deficiency
Lies
Preceding sincerest
Apologies
Penniless
Craziest
Irresistible nevertheless…
Poems don’t have to rhyme; they’re
more beautiful that way,
And he doesn’t rhyme either.
I’m better off with a Caleb, a Mark, an
Andrew or a Josh.
Plain toast
Skim milk
Polo shirts
Steady work.
No X’s.
powerpoetry.org

3. X is the only grapheme that
corresponds to more than one sound.
• X is a combination of k sound and s sound. [ks]
•X is a combination of g sound and z sound. [gz]

4.  Whenever x is between a vowel and a
consonant, and is the final letter of a word,
then /ks/ is going to be the way to say it.

5. [ks]
Experience
Extend
Expose
Box
Tax
Expert
Excavate
Notice that the stressed syllable of
the first 3 examples is the second
syllable. So the way you pronounce
the letter “E” at the beginning of each
word is [I], instead of [ɛ].
E as [ɛ] because stressed
syllable is the first syllable

6.  X is pronounced /gz/ when it is between two
vowels, and when its stressed syllable begins
immediately after the letter x.

7. [gz]
Exact
Examine
Exhort (silent h)
Exit
Exile
Execute
Exercise
Exhibition
but
Because the stress is
in the second
syllable, the E is
pronounced as [I].
E as [ɛ] for the
stressed syllable is the
first syllable
Each word’s stressed
syllable is the first and/or
third syllable. Ergo, even if
x is between two vowel
sounds, it is still
pronounced as [ks]. And
letter E as [ɛ].

8. On a ¼ sheet of paper, copy the words below and beside each,
write the corresponding pronunciation of E as the beginning
of each word, [I] or [ɛ]; and the pronunciation of x, [ks] or [gz].
Example: expect – [I], [ks]
1. Excavate
2. Examine
3. Exhibit
4. Execute
5. Exercise
6. Experience
7. Exhaust
8. Exact
9. Extend
10.Exposure

9. 1.Example – [I], [gz]
2.Examine – [I], [gz]
3.Exhibit – [I], [gz]
4.Execute – [ɛ], [ks]
5.Exercise – [ɛ], [ks]
6.Experience – [I], [ks]
7.Exhaust – [I], [gz]
8.Exact – [I], [gz]
9.Extend – [I], [ks]
10.Exposure – [I], [ks]