Thread: The letter X

Having difficult with the letter X.. my books say it sound like Ch in Loch but when i hear it on a CD it doesnt sound that way... to me CH in Loch sounds like the letter K ...

Voiceless velar fricative. It uses the same area as the letter k, except it's a fricative like the letter 's' or 'f'. Thats the sound your going for. If you can't get it, and english "h" would be the best alternative, just don't use a 'k' sound whatever you do.

Originally Posted by Rounder22

Having difficult with the letter X.. my books say it sound like Ch in Loch but when i hear it on a CD it doesnt sound that way... to me CH in Loch sounds like the letter K ...

You should avoid pronouncing Russian X as K. Listen carefully to your CD's or get someone to pronounce it for you. CH in Loch is not pronounced as K. German CH in "Bach" has also this sound (not BAHK), Spanish J in Juan is pronounced the same.

Edit: oops. I thought you were talking about "x" as in taxi.

X sounds like an H

To prounounce the Russian X:

start breathing out the h as in 'help' and then at the same time try saying 'k', that is the X

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

To prounounce the Russian X:

start breathing out the h as in 'help' and then at the same time try saying 'k', that is the X

Try to imitate Milla Jovovich's accent (the word Help) in "Zoolander" when she says "can I Help you?"

Or, John Malkovich's accent in "Rounders" (the word "Have") when he says "should Have paid me!"

Or, pretty much any Russian accent pronouncing a word with "H" in it, I was just trying to think of some famous ones.
-Fantom

its like the ACH in ALLAH AKBAR!

I can't help noticing that there is no "ACH" in Allahu akbar! You mean just the "H" part, which is stronger than English H.

The original poster is not even here but you keep explaining. Who for?

Im here. It is just that I work long hours and don't get home til late at night.. remember we have different hours in NY then in Australia... as for Malkovich in the movie Rounders (my 2nd fave movie of all time and the reason i'm a poker player in my spare time lol ) when he said "Have" he sounded like he said it like this >>> He-av . is that how X is pronounced? ....

Originally Posted by Rounder22

Im here. It is just that I work long hours and don't get home til late at night.. remember we have different hours in NY then in Australia... as for Malkovich in the movie Rounders (my 2nd fave movie of all time and the reason i'm a poker player in my spare time lol ) when he said "Have" he sounded like he said it like this >>> He-av . is that how X is pronounced? ....

I haven't seen the movie but probably. They often imitate Slavic accent in movies when pronouncing words with English H. So a Russian with a bad Russian accent would say "I have" as "Ай хэв/хев".

Originally Posted by chaika

I can't help noticing that there is no "ACH" in Allahu akbar! You mean just the "H" part, which is stronger than English H.

Somebody has no faith in allah

Originally Posted by Анатолий

The original poster is not even here but you keep explaining. Who for?

I just like to watch myself type most of the time.
-Fantom

Originally Posted by Rounder22

Im here. It is just that I work long hours and don't get home til late at night.. remember we have different hours in NY then in Australia... as for Malkovich in the movie Rounders (my 2nd fave movie of all time and the reason i'm a poker player in my spare time lol ) when he said "Have" he sounded like he said it like this >>> He-av . is that how X is pronounced? ....

Haha, I thought you would have seen that movie based on your login
Yeah, that's the one, with a little harder sound at the front, kind of like when you try to hiss like a cat, but very light.

Maybe Rytom or another native speaker can record some words with the pronunciation???
-Fantom

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Originally Posted by chaika

I can't help noticing that there is no "ACH" in Allahu akbar! You mean just the "H" part, which is stronger than English H.

Somebody has no faith in allah

It

Derka derka Mohammed achmed jihad!!!

-Fantom

Uh.. uhm... global warming!?!

So, you speak the native language of Derka Derkastan also?

(It's from Team America: World Police, that's how they talk throughout the movie)
-Fantom

Heehee...hahahaha..
I love that movie. XD

Freedom ain't free! It cost a buck o five!

I thought freedom costs about Tree Fitty.

-Fantom