The spelling of the word "XIATE" might seem unusual, but it can be explained using phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced /zaɪ-eɪ-t/ according to the International Phonetic Alphabet. The "X" in the spelling represents the "Z" sound, while the "I" and "A" are pronounced separately as in "eye" and "ate". While this might not be a common spelling convention, it still follows the rules of English phonetics, making it a valid spelling of the word.