Vowels

[jack]

Vowels: a, e, i, o, and u.
1. I want an Xbox. (How come 'an' is correct here?)
2. I want a Xbox. ('a' is incorrect here?)

[Mister Micawber]

Because 'Xbox' is pronounced /eksbaks/, Jack-- the word starts with a vowel sound.

[jack]

Originally Posted by Mister Micawber

Because 'Xbox' is pronounced /eksbaks/, Jack-- the word starts with a vowel sound.

What about this:
1. Axbox (Can I also pronounce it like this? How do I know how to pronounce it? How do I figure out if I need to use 'an' or 'a'?)

[twostep]

"x" is pronounced "ex" not "ax".

[Mister Micawber]

Use 'an' before any vowel (open) sound that begins a word, Jack--

/iy/ (feel, eve, me) front close unrounded
/ih/ (fill, hit, lid) front close unrounded (lax)
/ae/ (at, carry, gas) front open unrounded (tense)
/aa/ (father, ah, car) back open unrounded
/ah/ (cut, bud, up) open-mid back unrounded
/ao/ (dog, lawn, caught) open-mid back round
/ay/ (tie, ice, bite) diphthong with quality: aa + ih
/ə/ (ago, comply) central close mid (schwa)
/ey/ (ate, day, tape) front close-mid unrounded (tense)
/eh/ (pet, berry, ten) front open-mid unrounded
/er/ (turn, fur, meter) central open-mid unrounded rhoticized
/ow/ (go, own, tone) back close-mid rounded
/aw/ (foul, how, our) diphthong with quality: aa + uh
/oy/ (toy, coin, oil) diphthong with quality: ao + ih
/uh/ (book, pull, good) back close-mid unrounded (lax)
/uw/ (tool, crew, moo) back close round