EX-

ex- BrE AmE ¦eks, ɪks, əks, eks —or with ɡz, kz . —This prefix is always stressed ¦eks when it has the specific meaning 'formerly' ( ˌ ex- ˈ chairman). When it has no such specific meaning, it is still stressed ¦eks, ¦eɡz (1) if the following syllable is unstressed ( ˌ exca ˈ vation), and (2) in some disyllabic nouns and adjectives ( ˈ extract). Otherwise, in Received Pronunciation, the prefix is usually unstressed and weak ɪks, ɪɡz (ex ˈ pect). But both vowel and consonants are subject to variation: some speakers use the weak vowel ə rather than ɪ , though others (particularly British English regional speakers) have strong e and may even stress it. The forms with ks are used before a following consonant sound, those with ɡz before a vowel sound (exact ɪɡ ˈzækt , exhaust ɪɡ ˈzɔːst ). (However, some speakers voice only the second consonant, thus ɪk ˈzækt, ɪk ˈzɔːst .) In words with the spellings exce-, exci- the consonants are simplified to ks (excite ɪk ˈsaɪt ) . Several words are irregular, as shown in the entries below.