Viral Tweet Sparks Debate Over the Proper Way to Write the Letter "X"

You've probably been drawing "Xs" ever since elementary school, and have always naturally assumed that everyone draws it the same way you do.

But an image shared on Twitter by user @SMASEY has revealed that there are actually at least eight different ways to draw this popular letter and symbol. 

Also this is so interesting to me – which way do you draw an X? Colored line being the first stroke pic.twitter.com/a0WTl8WT7Pae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

— sixers smasey (@SMASEY) January 20, 2019

And people are blown away by the discovery.

me realising there are other ways to draw an 'x' 🤯

— Shego (@LadyBellatrix) January 20, 2019

Lots of people are just now realizing that their way of doing it is kind of unique.

I'm a 2 should I got to the hospital

— Emily Andras (@emtothea) January 21, 2019

Things got a bit heated.

8.

People who draw bottom to top are also the ones that put their toilet paper on the holder the wrong way.

— Eddie (@NinjaJenssen) January 20, 2019

And others are throwing in some other options on how to properly draw an "X."

This is how you draw an X. pic.twitter.com/m1u61LBS1q

— Neorice University (@Neoriceisgood) January 20, 2019

I've personally been guilty of using the cursive approach. It makes the "X" looks fancy.

Number 8 but the plot twist is that I mostly write my Xs like this: pic.twitter.com/Gk8dP2Tvq2

— Nightskin – Melanin in the creases of my palms (@MizzayTee) January 20, 2019

While there's no hard and fast rule on how you have to draw this symbol, the techniques for 7 and 8 seem to be the consensus in the United States, while 5 and 6 are more popular in the United Kingdom, so we can add that to the long list of fundamental differences between the two countries.

General consensus is that Americans do 7 & 8 while UK does 5 & 6. Probably how we were taught. Not sure about other countries

— sixers smasey (@SMASEY) January 20, 2019

The important thing in today's day and age, however, is that you or your children learn how to write an X at all. As of late, traditional clocks have been disappearing from classrooms because kids today can no longer tell time on them, and it seems that many of them are also forgetting how to use a pen or pencil. The latter trend is especially worrying to pediatric therapists, as the ability to grip a pencil is an important motor skill to develop early on. According to experts, your child should know how to draw a line at the age of 2, a circle at the age of 3, and an "X" at the age of four years and eleven months.

For what it's worth: If you believe the fine folks at Crayola, a proper cursive "X" requires you to follow the technique in item 5, swooping up and across first, and then up again with your second line. Got it? Great! And for more on the importance of great handwriting, check out these 17 Amazing Secrets Your Handwriting Says About You.

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