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On various systems, it is not possible to make accents on some letters like ĉ, ĝ etc…

I've noticed workarounds placing x or h after the accentuated letters, even >, i.e: cx gh.

Is there an officially accepted workaround?

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  • Given how easy it is nowadays alter keyboards this question has become more or less moot. Commented Mar 7 at 11:02

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The methods you mentioned, using H or X, are the most common and accepted.

As explained in other answers, the H-metodo is in the Fundamento and people can't say you are wrong for using it. It can be slightly ambiguous in compound words:

  • ne-uzo is not neŭzo
  • flug-haveno is not fluĝaveno

The hyphen in compound words is optional in other situations, but it would be more considerate to your readers if you kept them when using the H-metodo to avoid confusion.

The X-metodo is the most popular, and it can serve a complementary role as an input method i.e. you use it to type in Esperanto and some software you use converts it on the fly or as an extra conversion step.

The Akademio de Esperanto has issued an “Oficiala Informo” where it's clearly stated that technical solutions (such as the X-method, even though it's not mentioned) that don't cause confusion and don't try to reform the orthography are perfectly acceptable.

http://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/oficialaj_informoj/oficialaj_informoj_6_2007.html

The justification given includes braille and digital formats according to several possible encodings (the Fundamento couldn't possibly assign Unicode code points to the letters in the late 1800's or early 1900's so any encoding used nowadays is essentially arbitrary).

On the other hand if you tried to shuffle the letters around to make room for the additional sounds that Esperanto needs (changing j to y for example), that would cause too much confusion when used side-by-side with the official alphabet, therefore it wouldn't be acceptable.

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The H system is "official" as it was proposed by Zamenhof himself. The X system, though unofficial, seems to be the most commonly used. Other systems (apostrophes, circumflex after the letter, etc.) are very uncommon.

Note that in the H system, ŭ is simply replaced by u and not uh.

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    Things are not official just because they are made by Zamenhof. It is official because it is present in the Fundamento, but the wording makes it a possibility (MAY), not an obligation: "Remark. ― If it be found impraticable to print works with the diacritical signs (^,˘), the letter h MAY be substituted for the sign (^), and the sign (˘), may be altogether omitted.". Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 18:08
  • @Vanege: Yes, but no other possibility has ever been officially accepted, so the H-system is the only official way to avoid the superscripts. Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 9:01
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Well, adding x or h at the end of a letter when impossible to type accents is the accepted workaround. You can use either x either h, and everyone will understand what you mean.

Also, you are allowed to substitute ŭ for u with no word meaning loss.

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