The Chinese name “XIA” is pronounced with a second tone. In pinyin, the letter “X” represents the unvoiced velar fricative //, produced by directing a stream of air over the tongue’s back, near the hard palate. The letter “I” represents a high front unrounded vowel /i/, produced by raising the tongue towards the hard palate and spreading the lips horizontally. Finally, the letter “A” represents a low back unrounded vowel /a/, produced by lowering the tongue towards the back of the mouth and opening the jaw.
Knowing how to pronounce XIA correctly is important when speaking Mandarin Chinese, as mispronunciation can lead to confusion or misunderstanding.