While looking through her 1-year-old niece’s books, one woman got a shock after discovering what an alphabet book had picked to represent the letter X.
Karen Thomas Mahoney, from North Carolina, shared a video on TikTok after flipping through an A-to-Z board book focused on healthy foods.
While most of the letters were straightforward, “A” for avocado, “B” for banana, and zucchini for "Z," the entry for “X” left her stunned.
The book appeared to be restricted to foods only, so the trusty “xylophone,” or "x-ray fish," wouldn't have been appropriate, the book instead featured “xīguā,” the Mandarin Chinese word for watermelon.
In the video on TikTok that now has more than 1 million views, Mahoney showed off the unusual book page, laughing at the addition to the A-Z.
When it comes to learning how to read and write, around age 2 children often begin recognizing some letters and singing parts of the alphabet song. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that it is usually by age 5 that children can name letters when you point to them.
Mahoney is staring her niece early. “My niece just turned one and received the book after her birth,” she told Newsweek. “I was going through the letters with her when I saw the letter X and picture of the watermelon. To be honest, I was shocked that this particular video received the amount of views that it did.
"I posted it because I just thought it was so funny… the fact that they were using a Chinese word to describe it just made it funny to me,” she said.
Internet Reacts
As the book gained more attention online, people were stunned by the contents and shared their reactions in the comments.
“What happened to xylophone as an option?” asked one commenter, referencing the usual option for an A-Z book.
“I guess they couldn’t find a food that starts with X," said one TikToker.
One user even joked: “If we use xylitol it can open a discussion about dental care.” Another suggested: "X for Xanthan gum."
While rare in English-language books, “xigua” (西瓜), pronounced “shee-gwah", is occasionally used in English dictionaries as one of the few legitimate “X” words, especially in food-themed or multicultural alphabet books, where English words starting with X are scarce.
This is not the first time a child’s book has captured viral attention. Earlier this year a New Zealand baby named Eliana was filmed with a book in her lap, and seems to read back in her own made-up “language” after being read to since birth.
When it comes to learning the alphabet, a teacher recently revealed how many elementary schools now use a changed version of the classic “Alphabet Song” (to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”) because the traditional version can confuse children when they hit certain sequences such as “LMNOP.”
The new version breaks the alphabet into clearer chunks so children better hear each individual letter name and sound.
While another viral post saw people scratching their heads at a child’s spelling homework. The question asked “What is M?” next to a picture of a row with dots, leaving even the adults stumped.
Correction 11/03/25, 07:35 a.m. ET: This article was corrected to change the letter W to letter X in the headline.
