Lexical items containing both “z” and “x” are relatively uncommon in the English language. Examples include “xylophone,” which designates a musical instrument, and “zebra,” referring to a striped equine mammal. The presence of these letters often signifies a word’s origin from Greek (e.g., “xylophone”) or adoption from other languages.
The infrequent co-occurrence of these two letters can be attributed to phonetic and orthographic conventions within the English language. Historically, certain letter combinations have become more prevalent due to linguistic evolution and borrowing from other languages. This relative scarcity contributes to their distinctiveness and can make such words memorable. Understanding the etymological roots of these terms can provide insights into the broader historical development of the English lexicon.