X Waves

One of the more difficult and certainly confusing aspects of the Elliott Wave Theory involves the nebulous complex corrections and X Waves. A beginner with the wave theory will certainly spend a lot of time trying to understand X waves. To add to the complication they will undoubtedly follow other Elliotticians and not understand why what appeared to be a normal correction was labeled as a WXY or WXYXZ. We are going to try to take the mystery out of this issue for you.

When to declare an X wave and a complex correction

An A,B,C correction, whether a flat, zigzag, or triangle, needs to follow some proper guidelines. Those are expressed in the webpages on the specific corrections. When they don't follow the guidelines they are not properly labeled as a zigzag, flat, or triangle. They have become complex and must instead be labeled as such.  Here is an ongoing list of when you should declare an X wave, and thus a complex correction:

Signs that a complex correction may be underway

There are some trip-offs that complex correction may be occurring.