21 Spanish Words That Start with X (with Audio)
The letter X is pretty rare in the Spanish language! It mostly appears in loanwords like examen (exam) and expresar (express).
While it’s generally used to represent the sound “ks,” you might also see it used to stand for a few other sounds. In some Spanish-speaking regions, particularly in Mexico, certain words or names originally spelled with “ch” are sometimes spelled with “x” as a shorthand. For example, “chicano” may be written as “xicano.”
In Nahuatl, an indigenous language of Mexico, “x” represents the sound [ʃ] (similar to the “sh” sound in English) or [ks] depending on the word.
But in Spanish, you won’t find too many word that begin with the letter X. I’ll cover as many as I can find below!
Contents
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Spanish Words That Start with X
| Spanish Word (with Audio) | English Word | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Xalapeño | Jalapeño | Type of hot pepper from Xalapa, Mexico. |
| Xantano | Xanthan | Polysaccharide used as a thickening agent. |
| Xántico | Xantic | Poetic, grandiloquent, or rhetorical language. |
| Xantofila | Xanthophyll | Yellow pigment found in plant cells. |
| Xantoma | Xanthoma | Yellowish growth on the skin. |
| Xantoquina | Xanthocyanin | Yellow pigment in certain flowers. |
| Xelhua | Xelhua | Ancient inhabitants of Cholula, Mexico. |
| Xenoestrógeno | Xenoestrogen | Synthetic chemical with estrogen-like effects. |
| Xenófilo | Xenophile | Person attracted to foreign cultures. |
| Xenofobia | Xenophobia | Fear or aversion towards foreigners. |
| Xerocopia | Photocopy | Copy made using a photocopier. |
| Xerofítico | Xerophytic | Describes plants adapted to arid environments. |
| Xeroform | Xeroform | Brand of medicated wound dressing. |
| Xeroftalmia | Xerophthalmia | Medical condition, dryness of the eyes. |
| Xerografía | Xerography | Photocopying process using electrostatic charges. |
| Xifoideo | Xiphoid | Sword-shaped or sword-like. |
| Xilofón | Xylophone | Musical instrument with wooden bars. |
| Xilografía | Xylography | Art of engraving images into woodblocks. |
| Xilopodio | Xylopodium | Woody basal stem or axis in some plants. |
| Ximenia | Ximenia | Genus of trees or shrubs. |
| Xipofago | Xylophagus | Organism that feeds on wood. |
Learn more about Spanish nouns, verbs and more in these blog posts:
80+ Essential Nouns in Spanish—Plus the 9 Noun Types | FluentU Spanish Blog
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150+ Most Common Spanish Verbs You Need To Know [With Free PDF] | FluentU Spanish Blog
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50 Most Common Spanish Adjectives for Beginners [With PDF Download] | FluentU Spanish Blog
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Spanish Adverbs: An Introductory Guide Plus 50 Common Adverbs | FluentU Spanish Blog
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You might not find these words in use too often, but knowing them is part of expanding your vocabulary. You can find them in use through the videos on FluentU, where you can watch native Spanish learners using the language naturally.
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And One More Thing…
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Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
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