How to pronounce Xcalak
So this is always a difficulty for people new to the Yucatan. Driving down from Cancun to Xcalak and our hotel, one sees numerous places with names that include multiple X’s. Places like Xel-ha, Xcaret, and Xahuayxol are hard to figure out how to say. So how do you pronounce an “X” in Mayan? It’s actually quite simple. If the X comes before a vowel, the “X” is pronounced like “sh” So for Xahuayxol the pronunciation is like Sha Why Shoal. If the “X” comes before a consonant it is pronounced “Ish” so our town Xcalak, is pronounced “Ish Kah lock”. There are exceptions like in any language but if you just remember those two rules, when you come to Acocote Eco Inn, you will be able to pronounce most of the place names you pass by.
