Spanish Words Starting with X

There are 23 Spanish words beginning with X on this page, and almost all of them came into the language from Greek.

Two Roots Explain Nearly Everything Here

E follows the X in about sixty five percent of these and I in the rest. Behind that split sit two Greek roots, XENO meaning foreign and XILO meaning wood.

The XENO and XILO Families

XENOFOBIA, XENÓFOBO and XENÓFILO come from the first. XILÓFONO and XILOGRAFÍA come from the second. Between them they account for most of the page.

• Xenofobia
• Xenófobo
• Xilófono
• Xenón
• Xifoides

How X Sounds in Spanish

At the start of a word it is usually said as an S, so XILÓFONO begins like SILÓFONO. Later in a word it more often carries the KS sound, as in EXAMEN.

In Mexican place names it can also sound like a J or an SH, which is why MÉXICO is pronounced with a J sound.

Three sounds for one letter makes X the least predictable consonant in Spanish spelling.

Twenty three entries makes this one of the shortest lists on the site, and the two Greek families cover so much of it that learning the roots is more efficient than learning the words.

XENÓN and XIFOIDES sit outside both families and are the two worth memorising separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is MÉXICO written with an X

The spelling preserves an older form from Nahuatl. The pronunciation shifted to a J sound while the written X stayed.

Is X worth a lot in Spanish word games

Yes. It is rare enough that the tile carries a high value, and this short list is realistically the whole pool to draw on.

What does the XENO root mean

Foreign or strange, from Greek. It gives XENOFOBIA for fear of foreigners and XENÓFILO for someone drawn to them.