pronunciation.x
The letter x: examen, extra, México
Between vowels x = ks (examen); before consonants it often relaxes to s (extra ≈ 'estra'). México, Oaxaca, Texas keep an old spelling: their x = j sound.
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Explanation
Default: taxi, éxito with [ks]. Pre-consonant softening to [s] is standard casual speech: explicar ≈ 'esplicar' (don't write it that way).
The Mexican-toponym rule: México = 'Méjico', mexicano = 'mejicano' — x preserved by convention, pronounced as j. Indigenous-origin words vary: Xochimilco starts with s.
Three behaviors to keep apart: between vowels x is [ks] (examen, taxi, éxito); before a consonant it relaxes to [s] in normal speech (explicar ≈ 'esplicar' — but never spell it that way); and in Mexican toponyms it preserves an old spelling pronounced as j (México = 'Méjico', Oaxaca). Indigenous-origin words vary case by case (Xochimilco starts with s).
Examples
The exam was a success.
Region: global
My partner knows Mexico.
Region: global
The taxi to Mexico turned out a success, with no extra to explain.
Region: global