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In хлеб (khleb), 'bread', what sound does the letter Х make?

Х looks like X but sounds like a breathy kh.

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  1. A breathy kh, like ch in Scottish loch ✔
  2. X, as in box
  3. Ch, as in chair

Why: Cyrillic Х is not 'ks'. It is a throaty kh, like ch in loch. Хлеб is 'khleb'. The ch of chair is written Ч.

Huh, didn't know that: Х is the 23rd letter and is called ха (ha).

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What starts with a P and ends with an E and has a million letters in it? Post Office!
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References

Answer: A breathy kh, like ch in Scottish loch. Cyrillic Х is not 'ks'. It is a throaty kh, like ch in loch. Хлеб is 'khleb'. The ch of chair is written Ч.

  1. Wiktionary: хлеб en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D1%85%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B1
    IPA(key): [xlʲep] ... bread
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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