Why does x say z at the start of a word?

The pronunciation of the letter "x" as "z" at the beginning of a word is often related to the word's origin and etymology. In English, this occurs primarily in words that are borrowed from other languages, especially Greek. Here are a few reasons why "x" is pronounced as "z" at the beginning of some words:

Greek Influence: In Greek words, the letter “ξ” is pronounced as "ks." When English adopts words from Greek, for words starting with “x”, it gets reduced to “z”.

Xylophone: In this word, the initial "x" is pronounced as "z" because it comes from the Greek word ξύλοφωνή. It's a combination of two words:

• ξύλο (xýlo): meaning "wood"

• φωνή (foní): meaning "voice" or "sound"

So, ξύλοφωνή literally means "wood sound" or "sound of wood".

Orthographic Convention: The pronunciation of "x" as "z" is a reflection of the orthographic conventions of the source language. English borrows words with their original spelling and but not always pronunciation intact.

Here are a few examples, with Greek origins, where "x" is pronounced as "z" at the beginning:

• Xenon

• Xenophobia

• Xerox

• Xylophone