When does an 'x' sound like a 'ch'?

Question

I learned that there are 3 different sounds for the x and that the 'h'-sound, like in México is a leftover from the old Spanish. But I sometimes also hear an x pronounced as a 'ch', like with Xavi, a football player from Barcelona. Is there a rule for this or is this pronounciation specific to Catalan?

Answer 1

But I sometimes also hear an x pronounced as a 'ch', like with Xavi, a football player from Barcelona.

In Barcelona they also speak Catalan (as well as Spanish). This language has its own grammar, its own vocabulary and its own pronunciation, like French or German do, and since Xavi is a Catalan name, not Spanish (even though it is used in Spain by Spanish people), it is pronounced according to the rules of their language. The sound of this X in Catalan does not exist in Spanish or English, but it does in Mandarin Chinese.

Answer 2

"X" in some cases would sound like "J", "S" or "X" examples:

J-->México

S-->Xochil

X-->Extremo

Just a note: that "J" is not the English J. It's the Spanish "J" - different sound. The S and X work with an English accent. - NickDan, Jun 17, 2011

Thank you Nick!.. me faltó agregar eso que dice mi amigo Nick! :) - fjfuentesh, Jun 17, 2011

Answer 3

When I have stayed in various hotels in Pineda de Mar and Callela in the region of Cataluña I have come across various words with the letter X which is pronounced Sh I found out about this pronounciation by asking the hotel owners of the first hotel in which I stayed in Pineda who were rasied speaking Spanish and Catalan. These are two words that I can clearly remember

Caixa = savings bank (in names of Catalan Savings Institutions)

Xino Xano (name of street in Callela)