Spelling exercises: /ks/

The sequence /ks/ can be spelled in several ways.

As "x"

 * box, complex, fix, fox, index, mix, sex, relax, tax

As "xe"

 * deluxe
 * axe/ax, annexe/annex

As "cs"

 * economics, ethics, mathematics, politics, statistics
 * Plurals: acrostics, almanacs, antibiotics, crocs, fanatics, italics, maniacs, plastics

As "ks"

 * Plurals: books, risks, thanks, weeks
 * Third person of verbs: looks, talks, thinks, works

As "kes"

 * Plurals: bikes, jokes, lakes, mistakes, strikes
 * Third person of verbs: likes, makes, shakes, smokes, takes

As "cks"

 * Plurals: blocks, clocks, rocks, sticks, stocks
 * Third person of verbs: attacks, checks, locks, picks

As "chs"

 * Plurals: epochs, matriarchs, monarchs, patriarchs, stomachs

As "ques"

 * Plurals: cliques,, mosques, techniques

As "x"
Note that "x" can sound /gz/ as in "example". See Decoding the letter X.
 * boxer, complexity, mixing, perplexity, taxes

As "xc"

 * excellent, except, excite

As "cc"

 * accept, access, accident, succeed, success

As "cz"

 * eczema: /ˈeksɪmə, ˈegzəmə, ɪɡˈziːmə/

As "x"

 * exchange, exclude, expect, experience, explain, express, next
 * Past tense of verbs: fixed, mixed, relaxed, taxed

As "cs"

 * ecstasy

As "kes"

 * jokester, spokesman, spokesperson, spokeswoman

Table
Cells in grey are compound words.

/ks/ in compound words

 * As "ks": bookstore
 * As "kes": lakeside, smokescreen
 * As "cs": facsimile
 * As "cks"
 * Between vowels: backseat, quicksand, quicksilver, rucksack, tracksuit
 * Before a consonant: backspace, backstage, backstreet, backstroke, trickster


 * As "chs": dachshund