How to Pronounce English Alphabets - Part I: Consonants (X Y Z)

Consonant X

Alphabet X:
‘x’ has regularly the sound ‘ks’ wherever it occurs in a word as in Box, Fax, Fix, Fixer, Fixture, Maxi, Maxim, Ox, Pixel, Six, Taxi, Toxic, Vixen.
(However there are some exceptions)

Alphabet X (continued):
If ‘x’ is in the middle or end of a word, it has mostly ‘ks’ sound as in Annex, Ax, Box, Context, Jinx, Matrix, Maxim, Oxide, Ox, Proxy, Sixth, Taxi.

Alphabet X (continued):
If ‘x’ is at the beginning of a word, it has always ‘ze’ or ‘zi’ sound as in Xenia, Xenial, Xenogamy, Xenon, Xenon, Xenophobia, Xeric, Xeric, Xeroderma, Xerography, Xerophthalmia, Xerophytes, Xerox, Xylem, Xylophone, Xystus.

Alphabet X (continued):
(a) ‘x’ sounds ‘ksh’ in the words ending with ‘xion’ as in Axion, Connexion, Crucifixion, Flexion, Fluxion, Infixion, Reflexion.
(b) ‘x’ sounds ‘ksh’ in the words ending with ‘xious’ as in Anxious, Noxious, Obnoxious.
(c) ‘x’ sounds ‘ksh’ in the words ending with ‘xure’ as in Flexure.

Alphabet X (continued):
‘x’ is silent in some words as in Faux pas, Sioux.

Consonant Y

Alphabet Y:
‘y’ is both consonant and vowel in English Language.
‘y’ as a consonant has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Alloy, Annoy, Boy, Coy, May, Yam, Yellow, You, Young.
(However there are some exceptions)

Vowel Y

Alphabet Y (continued):
(a) If vowel ‘y’ is at the end of a word it has mostly ‘i’ sound as in By, Buy, Cry, Dry, Fly, Fry, , My, Sky, Try.
(b) If vowel ‘y’ is at the end of a word it has also ‘ee’ sound as in Aptly, Baggy, Dingy, Dodgy, Family, Happy, Hobby, Holly, Icy, Ivy, Lucky, Puppy, Silly, Smoggy, Stuffy, Twenty.

Alphabet Y (continued):
If vowel ‘y’ is in the middle of a word it has mostly ‘i’ sound as in Abysmal, Analyze, Antonym, Enzyme, Gym, Gymnast.

Alphabet Y (continued):
‘y’ is silent in some words as in Prayer, Mayor.

Consonant Z

Alphabet Z:
(a) ‘z’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word as in Analyze, Bizarre, Buzz, Zeal, Zebra, Zenith, Zero, Zest, Zip, Zodiac, Zoo.
(b) ‘zz’ has the same sound ‘z’ wherever it occurs in a word as in Blizzard, Buzz, Drizzle, Frizzy, Jazz, Muezzin, Pizza, Quizzer, Whizz, Whizzer.
(However there are some exceptions)

Alphabet Z (continued):
‘z’ is silent in some words as in Rendezvous, Laissez-faire, Chez.