{{Short description|Twenty-fourth letter of the Latin alphabet}} {{Technical reasons|:X|the keyboard symbol|List of emoticons}} <!--Please do not give preferential treatment to the social media platform by listing it here. There are dozens upon dozens of other topics named 'X' listed in the disambiguation page, as is the platform.--> {{About|the letter|other uses}} {{pp-semi-indef}} {{pp-move|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox grapheme |name=X |letter=X x |script=Latin script |type=Alphabet |typedesc=ic and logographic |language=Latinlanguage<br>Greek language |phonemes={{flex list|{{IPAblink|tʼ}}|{{IPAblink|s}}|{{IPAblink|z}}|{{IPAblink|t͡s}}|{{IPAblink|d͡z}}|{{IPAblink|ʃ}}|{{IPAblink|ʒ}}|{{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}}|{{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}}|{{IPAblink|ɕ}}|{{IPAblink|ɖ}}|{{IPAblink|k}}|{{IPAblink|x}}|{{IPA|[ks]}}|{{IPA|[ɡz]}}|{{IPA|[kʃ]}}|{{IPA|[ɡʒ]}}<ref>as in the English word ''lu'''xu'''rious''</ref>|{{IPAblink|χ}}|{{IPAblink|ħ}}|{{IPAblink|h}}|{{IPAblink|ʔ}}|{{IPAblink|ǁ}}|{{IPAblink|∅}}}} |unicode=U+0058, U+0078 |alphanumber=24 |number= |usageperiod= {{circa}} 700 BCE to present |children={{flex list|×|⨘|⨉|⨯|✗|☒|X̧}} |sisters={{flex list|Х|𐍇|Ⴕ ქ|Ⴟ ჯ}} |equivalents= |associates=x(x) |direction=Left-to-right |fam1=𐊐 χ |fam2=𐌗 |image=File:Latin_letter_X.svg |imageclass=skin-invert-image }} {{Latin letter info|x}}
'''X''' (minuscule: '''x''') is the twenty-fourth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ex'' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|'|ɛ|k|s|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-X.wav}}), plural ''exes''.<ref name=":1">"X", ''Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd edition (1989); ''Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1993); "ex", ''op. cit''.</ref>
==History== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Western Greek<br />Chi ! Etruscan<br />X ! Latin<br />X |- style="text-align:center;" | 45px|class=skin-invert-image | 25px|class=skin-invert-image | x30px|class=skin-invert-image |}
The letter {{angbr|X}}, representing {{IPA|/ks/}}, was inherited from the Etruscan alphabet. It perhaps originated in the {{angbr|Χ}} of the Euboean alphabet or another Western Greek alphabet, which also represented {{IPA|/ks/}}. Its relationship with the {{angbr|Χ}} of the Eastern Greek alphabets, which represented {{IPA|/kʰ/}}, is uncertain.{{fact|date=February 2026}}
The pronunciation of {{IPA|/ks/}} in the Romance languages underwent sound changes, with various outcomes: * French: {{IPA|/js/}} (e.g., {{lang|fr|laisser}} from {{lang|la|laxare}})<ref name="barbato">{{Cite web |last=Barbato |first=Marcello |date=2022 |title=The early history of Romance palatalizations |url=https://oxfordre.com/linguistics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.001.0001/acrefore-9780199384655-e-750 |website=Oxford Research Encyclopedias |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.750 |isbn=978-0-19-938465-5}}</ref> * Italian: {{IPA|/ss/}} (e.g., {{lang|it|asse}} from {{lang|la|axem}})<ref name="repetti">{{cite book |last=Repetti |first=Lori |title=The Oxford guide to the Romance languages |date=2016 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-967710-8 |editor-last=Ledgeway |editor-first=Adam |page=667 |chapter=Palatalization |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199677108.001.0001 |editor-last2=Maiden |editor-first2=Martin}}</ref> and, in some cases, {{IPA|/ʃʃ/}} (e.g., {{lang|it|lasciare}} from {{lang|it|laxare}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baglioni |first=Daniele |url=https://www.academia.edu/8165249 |title=Actes du Xᵉ colloque international sur le latin vulgaire et tardif |date=2014 |publisher=Bergamo University Press |editor-last=Molinelli |editor-first=Piera |page=10 |chapter=Il nesso GN dal latino alle lingue romanze: Questioni aperte e prospettive di ricerca |editor-last2=Cuzzolin |editor-first2=Pierluigi |editor-last3=Fedriani |editor-first3=Chiara}}</ref> * Portuguese: {{IPA|/jʃ/}} (e.g., {{lang|pt|eixo}} from {{lang|la|axem}})<ref name="barbato" /> * Romanian: {{IPA|/ps/}} (e.g., {{lang|ro|coapsă}} from {{lang|la|coxa}})<ref name="repetti" /> and {{IPA|/s/}} (e.g., {{lang|ro|lăsa}} from {{lang|la|laxare}})<ref>{{cite book |last=Sala |first=Marius |url=https://archive.org/details/contributionsala0000sala |title=Contributions à la phonétique historique du roumain |publisher=Klincksieck |year=1976 |isbn=978-2-252-01894-1 |location=Paris |pages=171–185}}</ref> * Old Spanish: {{IPA|/ʃ/}} ** Spanish: {{IPA|/x/}} (e.g., {{lang|es|cuja}} from {{lang|la|coxa}}) <ref>{{Cite web |last=Mackenzie |first=Ian |date=1999–2022 |title=The linguistics of Spanish |url=https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/i.e.mackenzie/index.html}}</ref> In Old Spanish, {{angbr|x}} came to represent {{IPA|/ʃ/}}, which it still represents in most Iberian languages and in the orthographies of other languages influenced by Spanish, such as Nahuatl. In French (with a few exceptions), Italian, Romanian, and modern Spanish, {{angbr|x}} was replaced by other letters.
The use of {{angbr|x}} to represent {{IPA|/ks/}} was reintroduced to the Romance languages via Latin loanwords. In many words, the {{IPA|/ks/}} was voiced as {{IPA|/gz/}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Allen |first=W. Sidney |title=Vox Latina: A Guide to the Pronunciation of Classical Latin |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1965 |isbn=978-0-521-08227-3 |pages=112–113}}</ref>
== Use in writing systems == {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |+ Pronunciation of {{angbr|x}} by language ! Orthography ! Phonemes ! Environment |- ! rowspan="2" |Asturian |{{IPA|/ʃ/}} |All environments |- |{{IPA|/s/}} |In between-vowels, only in learned loanwords, can usually be written as ''s'' as well |- ! Afar |{{IPAslink|ɖ}} | |- ! Albanian |{{IPAslink|dz}} | |- ! Azeri |{{IPAslink|x}} | |- ! Basque |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} | |- ! rowspan="4" |Catalan |{{IPA|/t͡ʃ ~ ʃ/}} |Usually (word-initially, after consonants) |- |{{IPA|/(j)ʃ/}} |In the digraph ''ix'' |- |{{IPA|/gz/}} |In the initial groups ''ex''- and ''inex''- followed by vowel, ⟨h⟩ or a voiced consonant |- |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Between vowels, between a vowel and voiceless consonant and word-finally, after a vowel or consonant |- ! {{nwr|Standard Chinese (Pinyin)}} |{{IPAslink|ɕ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" | Dutch |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Usually, mainly used in loanwords |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |In ''Texel'' |- ! rowspan="4" | English |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Usually; before an unstressed vowel |- |{{IPA|/gz/}} |Before a stressed vowel |- |{{IPAslink|z}} |Word-initially |- |{{IPAslink|h}} |In words derived from other languages, especially Spanish and Classical Nahuatl/Nahuatl. |- ! Esperanto |''in digraphs only as a substitute for a diacritic'' |''cx, gx, hx, jx, sx, ux'' are used as substitutes for ''ĉ, ĝ, ĥ, ĵ, ŝ, ŭ'' where these characters are not available, see X-convention |- ! rowspan="5" |French |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Usually; in ''Aix-'' (prefix or name of several places) |- |{{IPA|/gz/}} |Mainly in the prefix ex- followed by a vowel; sometimes word-initially |- |Silent |Word-finally with no liaison |- |{{IPAslink|z}} |Word-finally with liaison; in ''sixième'' (6th) and ''dixième'' (10th) |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |In ''six'' (6), ''dix'' (10), ''Auxerre'', and ''Bruxelles'' (Brussels) |- ! rowspan="2" |Galician |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} |Usually |- |{{IPA|/(k)s/}} |Some learned loanwords |- ! German |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Mainly used in loanwords |- ! rowspan="2" |Indonesian |{{IPAslink|s}} |In the beginning of a word, mainly used in loanwords for science |- |{{IPA|/ks/}} |In the middle or the end of a word, although words borrowed with the letter x in the middle or the end of a word are almost always replaced by the letters 'ks'. However, the letter x does appear in the middle or the end of certain names. |- ! Italian |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Mainly used in learned loanwords |- ! Kurdish |{{IPAslink|x}} | |- ! Lao romanization |{{IPAslink|s}} |A "low consonant", affects the tone of the following vowel |- ! Leonese |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} | |- ! Ligurian |{{IPAslink|ʒ}} | |- ! Maltese |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} | |- ! Mayan (ALMG) |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} | |- ! Nahuatl |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} | |- ! Nguni |{{IPAslink|ǁ}} | |- ! Norwegian |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Archaic |- ! rowspan="4" | Occitan |{{IPAslink|t͡s}} |Usually |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |Before consonants |- |{{IPA|/ɡz/}} |In the prefix ''ex''- before vowels in the Provençal, Limousin, Auvergnat, Vivaro-Alpine, and Niçard dialects |- |{{IPA|/ɡʒ/}} |Before {{angbr|i}} and {{angbr|u}} in the Auvergnat dialect |- ! Oromo |{{IPAslink|tʼ}} | |- ! Pirahã |{{IPAslink|ʔ}} | |- ! Polish |{{IPA|/ks ~ gz/}} |Unused in Polish orthography, except in loanwords. |- ! rowspan="5" | Portuguese |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} |Usually, always when word-initially |- |{{IPA|/ks/}} |Found between vowels in some words, mainly in those that entered the language recently |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |When preceded by {{angbr|e}} and succeeded by a consonant |- |{{IPAslink|z}} |In the prefixes {{angbr|ex}} when before a vowel and {{angbr|exo}} |- |{{IPA|/gz/}} |Optionally in the prefix ''hexa''-, although most dialects just pronounce this prefix's {{angbr|x}} as {{IPA|/ks/}} or {{IPAslink|z}} |- ! Sardinian |{{IPAslink|ʒ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |Sicilian |{{IPAslink|ʃ}} |Old Sicilian words and names, e.g. ''Craxi'' and ''Giancaxio'' |- |{{IPA|/k(ə)s(ə)/}} |Loanwords |- ! Somali |{{IPAslink|ħ}} | |- ! rowspan="3" | Spanish |{{IPA|/(k)s/}} |Usually |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |Word-initially |- |{{IPAslink|ʃ}}, {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}}, {{IPAslink|x}} |In some names and words |- ! Swedish |{{IPA|/ks/}} | |- ! Uzbek |{{IPAslink|χ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" | Venetian |{{IPAslink|z}} |Usually |- |{{IPAslink|s}} |In ''Venexia'', "Venice" |- ! Vietnamese |{{IPAslink|s}} | |}
===English=== In English orthography, {{angbr|x}} is typically pronounced as the voiceless consonant cluster {{IPAc-en|k|s}} when it follows the stressed vowel (e.g. ''ox''), and the voiced consonant {{IPAc-en|ɡ|z}} when it precedes the stressed vowel (e.g. ''exam''). It is also pronounced {{IPAc-en|ɡ|z}} when it precedes a silent {{angbr|h}} and a stressed vowel (e.g. ''exhaust'').<ref name="Venezky1970">{{cite book |last=Venezky |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mrt_G_RrJykC&pg=PA5 |title=The Structure of English Orthography |date=1 January 1970 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-080447-8 |location=The Hague |page=40 |access-date=29 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427105102/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mrt_G_RrJykC&pg=PA5 |archive-date=27 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Due to yod-coalescence, the sequence {{angbr|xi}} before a vowel can be pronounced {{IPAc-en|k|ʃ}} resulting from earlier {{IPAc-en|k|s|j}}, e.g. in ''-xion(-)'', ''-xious(-)''. Similarly, the sequence {{angbr|xu}} can be pronounced with {{IPAc-en|k|ʃ}} (e.g. ''flexure'', ''sexual'') or {{IPAc-en|ɡ|ʒ}} (in ''luxury'' and its derivatives).<!-- Oxford gives /ˈlʌkʃ(ə)ri/--> Due to NG-coalescence, the sequence {{angbr|nx}} can be pronounced {{IPAc-en|ŋ|z}} in ''anxiety''.
When {{angbr|x}} ends a word, it is always {{IPAc-en|k|s}} (e.g. ''fax''), except in loan words such as ''faux''. When {{angbr|x}} does start a word, it is usually pronounced 'z' (e.g. ''xylophone'', ''xanthan''). When starting in some names or as its own representation, it is pronounced 'eks', in rare recent loanwords or foreign proper names, it can also be pronounced {{IPAc-en|s}} (e.g. the obsolete Vietnamese monetary unit ''xu'') or {{IPAc-en|ʃ}} (e.g. Chinese names starting with ''Xi'', like Xiaomi or Xinjiang). Many of the words that start with {{angbr|x}} are of Greek origin, standardized trademarks (''Xerox''), or acronyms (''XC'').
In abbreviations, it can represent "trans-" (e.g. ''XMIT'' for transmit, ''XFER'' for transfer), "cross-" (e.g. ''X-ing'' for crossing, ''XREF'' for cross-reference), "Christ-" (e.g. ''Xmas'' for Christmas, ''Xian'' for Christian), the "crys-" in crystal (''XTAL''), "by" (''SXSW'' for South by Southwest), or various words starting with "ex-" (e.g. ''XL'' for extra large, ''XOR'' for exclusive-or, or the extinction symbol).
X is the third least frequently used letter in English (after {{angbr|q}} and {{angbr|z}}), with a frequency of about 0.15% in words.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Mička |first=Pavel |title=Letter frequency (English) |url=http://en.algoritmy.net/article/40379/Letter-frequency-English |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304152631/http://en.algoritmy.net/article/40379/Letter-frequency-English |archive-date=4 March 2021 |access-date=9 February 2014 |website=Algoritmy.net}}</ref> There are very few English words that start with {{angbr|x}} (the fewest of any letter).
===Romance languages=== In Latin, {{angbr|x}} stood for {{IPA|/ks/}}. In the Romance languages, as a result of assorted phonetic changes, {{angbr|x}} has other pronunciations: *In Catalan, {{angbr|x}} has four to three (depending on the dialect) main pronunciations; the most common is {{IPAslink|ʃ}} and/or {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}}; as in {{lang|ca|xarop}} ('syrup'). Others are: {{IPA|/(j)ʃ/}} with the digraph {{angbr|ix}}: {{lang|ca|mateix}} ('same'), {{IPA|/ks/}}; {{lang|ca|fixar}} ('to fix'), {{IPA|/ɡz/}}; {{lang|ca|examen}}. In addition, {{IPA|/(j)ʃ/}} (from the digraph {{angbr|ix}}) gets voiced to {{IPA|[(j)ʒ]}} before voiced consonants or vowels; {{lang|ca|caixmir}} ('kashmir') and {{lang|ca|peix espasa}} ('sword fish'). Catalan also has the digraph {{angbr|tx}}, pronounced {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}}. *In Galician and Leonese, {{angbr|x}} is pronounced {{IPAslink|ʃ}} in most cases (often used in place of etymological ''g'' or ''j''). The pronunciation {{IPA|/ks/}} occurs in learned words, such as {{lang|gl|taxativo}} (taxing). However, Galician speakers tend to pronounce it {{IPAslink|s}}, especially when it appears before plosives, such as in {{lang|gl|externo}} ('external'). *In French, {{angbr|x}} usually represents {{IPA|/ks/}} or (primarily in words beginning with ex- followed by a vowel) {{IPA|/ɡz/}}. It is pronounced {{IPAslink|s}} in some city names such as {{lang|fr|Bruxelles}} (although some people pronounce it 'ks') or {{lang|fr|Auxerre}}; it is nevertheless pronounced {{IPA|/ks/}} in Aix, the name of several towns. At the ends of other words, it is silent (or {{IPAslink|z}} in liaison if the next word starts with a vowel). Two exceptions are pronounced {{IPAslink|s}}: {{lang|fr|six}} ('six') and {{lang|fr|dix}} ('ten'). It is pronounced {{IPAslink|z}} in {{lang|fr|sixième}} and {{lang|fr|dixième}}. *In Italian, {{angbr|x}} is either pronounced {{IPA|/ks/}}, as in {{lang|it|extra}}, {{lang|it|uxorio}}, {{lang|it|xilofono}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Dizionario di ortografia e pronunzia |trans-title=Dictionary of Spelling and Pronunciation |url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416110248/http://www.dizionario.rai.it/ |archive-date=16 April 2018 |access-date=9 February 2014 |website=Dizionario di ortografia e pronunzia |language=it}}</ref> or {{IPA|/ɡz/}}, as in {{lang|it|exogamia}}, when it is preceded by {{angbr|e}} and followed by a vowel. In several related languages, notably Venetian, it represents the voiced sibilant {{IPAslink|z}}. It is also used, mainly amongst young people, as a short written form for {{lang|it|per}} (meaning "for"); for example, {{lang|it|x sempre}} ({{gloss|forever}}). This is because in Italian, the multiplication sign is called {{lang|it|per}}. However, {{angbr|x}} is found only in loanwords, as it is not part of the standard Italian alphabet; in most words with {{angbr|x}}, this letter may be replaced with {{angbr|s}} or {{angbr|ss}} (with different pronunciation: {{lang|it|xilofono}}/{{lang|it|silofono}}, {{lang|it|taxi}}/{{lang|it|tassì}}) or, rarely, by 'cs' (with the same pronunciation: {{lang|it|claxon}}/{{lang|it|clacson}}). *In Portuguese, {{angbr|x}} has four main pronunciations; the most common is {{IPAslink|ʃ}}, as in {{lang|pt|xícara}} ('cup'). The other sounds are: {{IPA|/ks/}} as in {{lang|pt|flexão}} ('flexion'); {{IPAslink|s}}, when preceded by E and followed by a consonant, as in {{lang|pt|contexto}} ({{IPAslink|ʃ}} in European Portuguese), and in a small number of other words, such as {{lang|pt|próximo}} (close/next); and (the rarest) {{IPAslink|z}}, which occurs in the prefix {{angbr|ex-}} before a vowel, as in {{lang|pt|exagerado}} ('exaggerated'). A rare fifth sound is {{IPA|/ɡz/}}, coexisting with {{IPAslink|z}} and {{IPA|/ks/}} as acceptable pronunciations in {{lang|pt|exantema}} and in words with the Greek prefix 'hexa-'. *In Sardinian and Ligurian, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|ʒ}}. *In Old Spanish, {{angbr|x}} was pronounced {{IPAslink|ʃ}}, as it is still currently in other Iberian Romance languages. Later, the sound evolved to a {{IPAslink|x}} sound. In modern Spanish, due to a spelling reform, whenever {{angbr|x}} is used for the {{IPAslink|x}} sound it has been replaced with {{angbr|j}}, including in words that originally had {{angbr|x}} such as {{lang|es|ejemplo}} or {{lang|es|ejercicio}}, though {{angbr|x}} is still retained for some names (notably {{lang|es|México}}, even though {{lang|es|Méjico}} may sometimes be used in Spain). Presently, {{angbr|x}} represents the sound {{IPAslink|s}} (word-initially), or the consonant cluster {{IPA|/ks/}} (e.g. {{lang|es|oxígeno}}, {{lang|es|examen}}). Rarely, it can be pronounced {{IPAslink|ʃ}} as in Old Spanish in some proper nouns such as {{lang|es|Raxel}} (a variant of ''Rachel'') and ''Uxmal''. *In Venetian, {{angbr|x}} represents the voiced alveolar sibilant {{IPAslink|z}}, much like in Portuguese {{lang|pt|exagerado}}, English 'xylophone' or in the French {{lang|fr|sixième}}. Examples from medieval texts include {{lang|vec|raxon}} ('reason'), {{lang|vec|prexon}} ('prison'), {{lang|vec|dexerto}} ('desert'), and {{lang|vec|chaxa}} or {{lang|vec|caxa}} ('home'). Nowadays, the best-known word is {{lang|vec|xe}} ('is/are'). The most notable exception to this rule is the name {{lang|vec|Venexia}}, {{IPA|/veˈnɛsja/}}, in which {{angbr|x}} has evolved from the initial voiced sibilant {{IPAslink|z}} to the present-day voiceless sibilant {{IPAslink|s}}.
===Other languages=== In languages which adopted the Latin alphabet later, {{angbr|x}} is used for various sounds, in some cases inspired by Latin or its descendants, but in others for unrelated consonants. Since the various Romance pronunciations of {{angbr|x}} can often be written in other ways, the letter becomes available for other sounds. *In Albanian, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|dz}} while the digraph {{angbr|xh}} represents {{IPAslink|dʒ}}. *It represents {{IPAslink|x}} (voiceless velar fricative) in Apache, Azerbaijani, Kurdish (Hawar alphabet), Georgian (when Latinized), Lojban, Pashto (when Latinized), Tatar (Jaꞑalif, Zamanälif, official romanization of 2012), Uzbek, and Uyghur (Latin script). *In Basque, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|ʃ}}. Additionally, the digraph {{angbr|tx}} represents {{IPAslink|tʃ}}. *In Hanyu Pinyin, Standard Chinese's official transcription system in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, the letter {{angbr|x}} represents the voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative {{IPAslink|ɕ}}, for instance in 'Xi', {{IPA|/ɕi/}}. *In Dutch, {{angbr|x}} usually represents {{IPA|/ks/}}, except in the name of the island of Texel, which is pronounced ''Tessel''. This is because of historical sound-changes in Dutch, where all {{IPA|/ks/}} sounds have been replaced by {{IPAslink|s}} sounds. Words with an {{angbr|x}} in the Dutch language are nowadays usually loanwords. In the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, family names with {{angbr|x}} are not uncommon (e.g., {{lang|nl|Dierckxa}} and {{lang|nl|Hendrickx}}). *In Esperanto, the x-convention replaces {{angbr|ĉ}}, {{angbr|ĝ}}, {{angbr|ĥ}}, {{angbr|ĵ}}, {{angbr|ŝ}}, and {{angbr|ŭ}} with x-suffixes: {{angbr|cx}}, {{angbr|gx}}, {{angbr|hx}}, {{angbr|jx}}, {{angbr|sx}}, and {{angbr|ux}}. *In German, generally pronounced {{IPA|/ks/}}; in native words, however, such as {{lang|de|Ochs}} or {{lang|de|wachsen}}, the cluster {{IPA|/ks/}} is often written {{angbr|chs}}. *In transliterations of Indian languages, primarily Indo-Aryan languages, {{angbr|x}} represents the consonant cluster {{IPA|[kʃ]}} in alternate spellings of words containing {{script/Devanagari|क्ष}} (kṣ), especially names such as Laxmi and Dixit. Less frequently, {{angbr|x}} is used to represent {{script/Devanagari|ख़}} {{IPAslink|x}}. *In Lao, based on romanization of Lao consonants, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|s}}, while appears to be homophonous with {{angbr|s}}, it is a "low consonant" and affects the tone of the following vowel, e.g. in Lan Xang. *In Maltese, {{angbr|x}} is pronounced {{IPAslink|ʃ}} or, in some cases, {{IPAslink|ʒ}} (only in loanwords such as 'televixin', and not for all speakers). *In Nahuatl, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|ʃ}}. *In Nguni languages, {{angbr|x}} represents the alveolar lateral click {{IPAslink|ǁ}}. *In Norwegian, {{angbr|x}} is generally pronounced {{IPA|/ks/}}, but since the 19th century, there has been a tendency to spell it out as {{angbr|ks}}; it may still be retained in personal names, though it is fairly rare, and occurs mostly in foreign words and SMS language. Usage in Danish and Finnish is similar (while Swedish, on the other hand, makes frequent use of {{angbr|x}} in native words as well as in loanwords). *In Pirahã, {{angbr|x}} symbolizes the glottal stop {{IPAslink|ʔ}}. *In Polish, {{angbr|x}} was used prior to 19th century both in loanwords and native words and was pronounced {{IPA|/ks/}} or {{IPA|/ɡz/}}, e.g., {{lang|pl|xiążę}}, {{lang|pl|xięstwo}} (now {{lang|pl|książę}}, {{lang|pl|księstwo}}). This was later replaced by {{angbr|ks}} and {{angbr|gz}} in almost all words and remained only in a few loanwords as 'xenia' ({{lang|pl|xenien}}), surnames as {{lang|pl|Axentowicz}}, {{lang|pl|Rexemowski}}, and {{lang|pl|Xiężopolski}}, names as {{lang|pl|Xawery}}, and {{lang|pl|Xymena}}, and abbreviations. *In Vietnamese, {{angbr|x}} represents {{IPAslink|s}}. This sound was {{IPAblink|ɕ}} in Middle Vietnamese, resembling the Portuguese {{IPAslink|ʃ}}, spelled {{angbr|x}}.
An illustrative example of {{angbr|x}} as a "leftover" letter is the differing usage in three different Cushitic languages: *Afar: voiced retroflex plosive {{IPAslink|ɖ}} *Oromo: alveolar ejective {{IPAslink|tʼ}} *Somali: voiceless pharyngeal fricative {{IPAslink|ħ}}
===Other systems=== In the International Phonetic Alphabet, {{angbr IPA|x}} represents a voiceless velar fricative.
==Other uses== {{main|X (disambiguation)}}
* X mark has a widely accepted meaning of "negative" or "wrong". * The Roman numeral X represents the number 10.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gordon |first=Arthur E. |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedintro0000gord |title=Illustrated Introduction to Latin Epigraphy |date=1983 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520038981 |page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedintro0000gord/page/44 44] |quote=roman numerals. |access-date=3 October 2015 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=King |first=David A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PapljPXaSbwC&q=roman%20numerals%20letters&pg=PA282 |title=The Ciphers of the Monks |publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |year=2001 |isbn=9783515076401 |page=282 |quote=In the course of time, '''I''', '''V''' and '''X''' became identical with three letters of the alphabet; originally, however, they bore no relation to these letters. |access-date=2020-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104092429/https://books.google.com/books?id=PapljPXaSbwC&q=roman%20numerals%20letters&pg=PA282 |archive-date=2021-01-04 |url-status=live}}</ref> * In mathematics, ''x'' is commonly used as the name for an independent variable or unknown value. The modern tradition of using ''x'', ''y'', and ''z'' to represent an unknown (''incognita'') was introduced by René Descartes in ''La Géométrie'' (1637).<ref>{{cite book |last=Cajori |first=Florian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_byqAAAAQBAJ&q=unknown&pg=PA380 |title=A History of Mathematical Notations |publisher=Open Court Publishing |year=1928 |isbn=9780486161167 |place=Chicago |page=381 |access-date=2020-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413173747/https://books.google.com/books?id=_byqAAAAQBAJ&q=unknown&pg=PA380 |archive-date=2021-04-13 |url-status=live}} See History of algebra.</ref> As a result of its use in algebra, X is often used to represent unknowns in other circumstances (e.g. X-rays, ''The X-Files'', and ''The Man from Planet X''). * On some identification documents, the letter X represents a non-binary gender, where F means female and M means male.<ref name="Science as Culture">{{cite journal |last=Holme |first=Ingrid |date=2008 |title=Hearing People's Own Stories |journal=Science as Culture |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=341–344 |doi=10.1080/09505430802280784 |s2cid=143528047}}</ref><ref name="nzpass">{{cite web |title=New Zealand Passports - Information about Changing Sex / Gender Identity |url=http://www.passports.govt.nz/Transgender-applicants |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923055123/http://www.passports.govt.nz/Transgender-applicants |archive-date=23 September 2014 |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> * In the Cartesian coordinate system, ''x'' is used to refer to the horizontal axis. * It is also sometimes used as a typographic approximation for the multiplication sign, {{char|×}}. In mathematical typesetting, ''x'' meaning an algebraic variable is normally in italic type (<math>x\!</math>), partly to avoid confusion with the multiplication symbol. In fonts containing both ''x'' (the letter) and × (the multiplication sign), the two glyphs are dissimilar. * It can be used as an abbreviation for 'between' in the context of historical dating; e.g. "1483 x 1485". * Maps and other images sometimes use an X to label a specific location, leading to the expression "X marks the spot".<ref>{{cite web |title=X marks the spot |url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/x-marks-the-spot |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604015834/http://www.dictionary.com/browse/x-marks-the-spot |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=21 June 2016}}</ref> * In art or fashion, the use of X indicates a collaboration by two or more artists, e.g. Aaron Koblin x Takashi Kawashima. This application, which originated in Japan, now extends to other kinds of collaboration outside the art world.<ref>{{cite web |title=X: Mark of Collaboration - Issue No. 0053X - Arkitip, Inc. |url=http://arkitip.com/product/x-mark-of-collaboration-issue-no-0053x/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517184918/http://arkitip.com/product/x-mark-of-collaboration-issue-no-0053x/ |archive-date=2016-05-17 |access-date=2016-03-22 |website=arkitip.com}}</ref> This usage mimics the use of a similar mark in denoting botanical hybrids, for which scientifically the multiplication × is used, but informally, a lowercase "x" is also used. * {{Anchor|Kiss}}At the end of a letter or other correspondence, 'x' can mean a kiss;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Epstein |first=Nadine |date=2020-10-07 |title=A whole lot of history behind 'x' and 'o', kiss and hug |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-whole-lot-of-history-behind-x-and-o-kiss-and-hug/2014/02/13/0c3e218a-9341-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401143406/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-whole-lot-of-history-behind-x-and-o-kiss-and-hug/2014/02/13/0c3e218a-9341-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_story.html |archive-date=2018-04-01 |access-date=2021-03-12 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> the earliest example of this usage cited by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' is from 1878.<ref>"[https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/230945 X, n.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312083617/https://oed.com/view/Entry/230945 |date=12 March 2021 }}" ''OED Online'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2022), §6. Accessed 11 November 2022.</ref> * An X rating denotes media, such as movies, that are intended for adults only. * In the Korean language, a series of Xs is used as a visual bleep censor for subtitles and captions, serving the same role as an asterisk (*).<ref>{{Cite web |title='찐따', 'X랄하다'...욕도 전통을 가진다? |trans-title='loser', 'fXing'... swear words also have a tradition? |url=https://www.goeonair.com/news/article.html?no=13845 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118155129/https://www.goeonair.com/news/article.html?no=13845 |archive-date=18 January 2024 |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=www.goeonair.com |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=참바다 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XX4WEAAAQBAJ&dq=%EC%9A%95+X&pg=PA6-IA1 |title=시사칼럼 우리 시대의 상징과 은유 |date=2021-01-15 |publisher=e퍼플 |isbn=979-11-6569-712-9 |language=ko}}</ref> * In the C programming language, "x" preceded by zero (as in 0x or 0X) is used to denote hexadecimal literal values. * X is commonly used as a prefix term in nouns related to the X Window System and Unix.<ref name=":1" />
==Related characters== <!-- Please only list characters (symbols in a writing system, but not just convenience code points in Unicode) that are actually related in terms of origin to the letter that is the topic of this article. Characters that merely look subjectively similar need not apply. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources before adding more. -->
===Descendants and related characters in the Latin alphabet=== *X with diacritics: Ẍ ẍ Ẋ ẋ X̂ x̂ ᶍ<ref>{{cite web |last=Constable |first=Peter |date=2004-04-19 |title=L2/04-132 Proposal to add additional phonetic characters to the UCS |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04132-n2740-phonetic.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011014355/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04132-n2740-phonetic.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-11 |access-date=2018-03-24}}</ref> *IPA-specific symbols related to X: {{IPA link|χ}} *Teuthonista phonetic transcription-specific symbols related to X:<ref>{{cite web |last1=Everson |first1=Michael |last2=Dicklberger |first2=Alois |last3=Pentzlin |first3=Karl |last4=Wandl-Vogt |first4=Eveline |date=2011-06-02 |title=L2/11-202: Revised proposal to encode "Teuthonista" phonetic characters in the UCS |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11202-n4081-teuthonista.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011012426/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11202-n4081-teuthonista.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-11 |access-date=2018-03-24}}</ref> **{{Unichar|AB56|LATIN SMALL LETTER X WITH LOW RIGHT RING}} **{{Unichar|AB57|LATIN SMALL LETTER X WITH LONG LEFT LEG}} **{{Unichar|AB58|LATIN SMALL LETTER X WITH LONG LEFT LEG AND LOW RIGHT RING}} **{{Unichar|AB59|LATIN SMALL LETTER X WITH LONG LEFT LEG WITH SERIF}} *{{not a typo|ˣ}} : Modifier letter small x is used for phonetic transcription *{{not a typo|ₓ}} : Subscript small x is used in Indo-European studies<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Deborah |last2=Everson |first2=Michael |date=2004-06-07 |title=L2/04-191: Proposal to encode six Indo-Europeanist phonetic characters in the UCS |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04191-n2788-laryngeals.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011014402/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04191-n2788-laryngeals.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-11 |access-date=2018-03-24}}</ref>
===Ancestors and siblings in other alphabets=== *Χ χ : Greek letter Chi, from which the following derive: **Ꭓ ꭓ : Latin chi **Х х : Cyrillic letter Kha **{{Script|Copt|Ⲭ ⲭ}} : Coptic letter Khe, which derives from Greek Chi **{{Script|Goth|𐍇}} : Gothic letter enguz, which derives from Greek Chi ** 𐌗 : Old Italic X, which derives from Greek Chi, and is the ancestor of modern Latin X ***{{Script|Runr|ᚷ}} : Runic letter Gyfu, which may derive from old Italic X *Ξ ξ : Greek letter Xi, which was used in place of Chi in the Eastern (and the modern) Greek alphabets
==Other representations== ===Computing <span class="anchor" id="Computing codes"></span>=== * {{unichar|0058}} * {{unichar| 0078}} * {{unichar| FF38 |nlink=Halfwidth and fullwidth forms}} * {{unichar| FF58}}
===Other=== {{Letter other reps |NATO=Xray<!--not hyphenated "X-ray" -- that's ICAO--> |Morse=–··– |Character=X |Braille=⠭ |fingerspelling=X }} {{clear}}
==See also== * {{anl|X mark}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons-inline}} *{{Wiktionary-inline|X}} *{{Wiktionary-inline|x}} *{{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=X |short=x}}
{{Latin alphabet|X|}} {{Authority control}}
Category:ISO basic Latin letters Category:Cross symbols