is the correct spelling zooxanthellae or xoozanthellae?
user
it’s zo...
assistant
That seems like an incomplete answer. What about the rest of the spelling?
user
Sorry, I forgot to paste the word in here.  Try looking it up to double check.  I looked it up myself and it seems to be spelled with a -z- (zo).  I also made the word red so that you can see that there is no -x- in the word.
assistant
Do you pronounce the -x- in the middle as a -z-?
user
Umm...  the pronunciation of -x- seems to be unpredictable.  In the word Xanthus, for example, I don’t pronounce the -x- like a -z-  but in Xanadu I do.  Here’s a list of common English words that contain -x-  I might try to make a word red for you that you can then tell me the pronunciation of (in case you’re interested).
assistant
is the correct spelling zooxanthellae or xoozanthellae?
user
it’s zo...
assistant
That seems like an incomplete answer. What about the rest of the spelling?
user
Sorry, I forgot to paste the word in here.  Try looking it up to double check.  I looked it up myself and it seems to be spelled with a -z- (zo).  I also made the word red so that you can see that there is no -x- in the word.
assistant
Do you pronounce the -x- in the middle as a -z-?
user
No, it sounds exactly like an x.  Pronouncing the letter "x" with a soft "z" sound (like in zoo or Xerox) is called palatalization, and the word is a real word and has been for a very long time.  You can try the word in a word processor to hear how it’s pronounced.  It’s also called “Cretan” or “Cretan Greek” pronunciation.
assistant
is the correct spelling zooxanthellae or xoozanthellae?