michael147
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I hear that a lot on TV. Is it from Spanish?
Last edited:
It is the correct Spanish pronunciation.
Most native speakers of English pronounce the word with a /ks/ sound. Those who speak Spanish and/or have lived in a Spanish-speaking country may well use the Spanish pronunciation. I always told my learners to use /ks/ when they were speaking English.What about in formal English speaking? I never heard of it in traditional English media.
Spanish as a pure concept might be so, but there are a lot regional variations. 'll' (double l) is /j/ (English y) in most places, but English 'sh' in Argentina - "Sho, mi shamo Raymott". Maybe one of our Spanish speakers can think of other examples where less pure Spanish doesn't quite live up to these ideals. But I do agree that Spanish is the closest language I know of that almost achieves this ideal."As written" is never a reliable concept with Roman letters, particularly if you first encounter them in English. Both X and J in Spanish are pronounced like a very strong English /h/. [As you know, Spanish /h/ is silent.] Incidentally, Spanish boasts a 100% match between orthographies and pronunciations, meaning there are no exceptions in pronouncing Spanish based on its spelling.
Spanish as a pure concept might be so, but there are a lot regional variations. 'll' (double l) is /j/ (English y) in most places, but English 'sh' in Argentina - "Sho, mi shamo Raymott". Maybe one of our Spanish speakers can think of other examples where less pure Spanish doesn't quite live up to these ideals. But I do agree that Spanish is the closest language I know of that almost achieves this ideal.
@ Nickelxoxo: To say that Mexico is pronounced Méjico or Mehico really depends on whose /j/ and /h/ you're using. (Apparently, you mean a Spanish pronunciation - Neither works in IPA for English or Spanish.) So, to tell an English audience that a Spanish 'x' is pronounced like a Spanish 'h' or 'j' here might not be that useful.