In French, there are two ways to pronounce the letter “x.” The first is a bit of a mystery. The second is pretty simple.

In English, we use the letter x to represent a sound that’s not found in English. In French, they use it for the same purpose. But there are some differences in how they use it.

First, let’s look at how the letter x is used in words borrowed from Latin and Greek. This includes many scientific terms, along with some more common words like “tax.” These words have been spelled out phonetically: They’re pronounced as they would be if they were written using their Latin or Greek roots (i.e., tax-eye-on).

The other way that French uses the letter x is to represent a sound that doesn’t exist in English at all — one that’s usually written with an s or an k: “exam” and “taxe,” respectively. This pronunciation can be tricky for English speakers because we don’t have an equivalent sound in our language — but it’s relatively easy once you get used to it!

Last modified: October 6, 2022