Editing X (section)

===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|first=Richard|last=Venezky|title=The Structure of English Orthography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mrt_G_RrJykC&pg=PA5|date=1 January 1970|location=[[The Hague]]|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-080447-8|page=40|access-date=29 October 2016|archive-date=27 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427105102/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mrt_G_RrJykC&pg=PA5|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 ''[[wiktionary:xu|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 language|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 [[Christians|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 disjunction|exclusive-or]], or the [[extinction symbol]]).

X is the [[Letter frequency|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 |website=Algoritmy.net |access-date=9 February 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304152631/http://en.algoritmy.net/article/40379/Letter-frequency-English |url-status=live }}</ref> There are very few English words that start with {{angbr|x}} (the fewest of any letter).