X Marks the Spot!

• You might have heard the expression “X” marks the spot.
• (It’s an expression) It means: this is the exact location.
• You hear it in a stories about treasure hunting and an “x” symbol is used to indicate where the buried treasure was supposed to be located. (Image of old treasure map with “X”)
•  The letter “x” also represents the Roman numeral 10
• We’re going to talk about the x as a consonant, the sounds that x can make and its characteristics
• There’s not really a symbol specifically for this sound.
• It’s basically represented by /ks/. (demonstrate the sound) or if you say its name---ekss
• However, this letter can have a few different sounds:
• Spelling: X
•  Sounds:
  • /ks/
  • gz
  • /z/
  • silent x

• Words:

  Beginning         Middle           Final

•  

  (eks) X-ray          oxen              axe

                             excel                 ox

                             expect              fax

                             experience       fix

                              pixel                 fox

                           flexible                box

                          maximum            hoax

                           Roxanne             mix

                                                      index

                                                      complex

• Words that sound like /z/: 

• /z/:

  xylophone 

  xerox

  xanthan

  xenophile

  xanthophyll
• Words that sound like /gz/:

exit*

exist

exert

exact

exile*

exactly

exhibit

existence

executive

examine

• Words with silent "x":

French words:

Sometimes English borrows words from other languages and we incorporate them into our language.  This is an example of that:

faux (fake)    f ow

Bordeaux   bor*dow  a port city in France and the wine that comes from that region.

roux (sauce- fat and flour) sounds like “roo”

Sioux “soo”  A native American Indian tribe.

• Practice with Sentences: 

  1.  The fox jumped over the box.

  2.  Xerox the fax.

  3.  Examine the X-Ray.

  4.  Alex fixed the axel.

  5.  Max and Roxanne were excited about the exhibit.

  6.  The taxi exited the complex.

  7.  Excel with maximum experience.

  8.  The executive was an expert at the saxophone and the xylophone.