Word with the letter q but no u

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In English, the letter Q is usually followed by the letter U, but there are some exceptions. The majority of these are anglicised from Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Inuktitut, or other languages that do not use the English alphabet, with Q representing a sound not found in English. For example, in the Chinese pinyin alphabet, qi is pronounced /tʃi/ (similar to «chi» in English) by an English speaker, as pinyin uses «q» to represent the sound [tɕʰ], which is approximated as [tʃ] (ch) in English. In other examples, Q represents [q] in standard Arabic, such as in qat, faqir and Qur’ān. In Arabic, the letter ق, traditionally romanised as Q, is quite distinct from ك, traditionally romanised as K; for example, قلب /qalb/ means «heart» but كلب /kalb/ means «dog». However, alternative spellings are sometimes accepted, which use K (or sometimes C) in place of Q; for example, Koran (Qur’ān) and Cairo (al-Qāhira).

Of the 82 words in this list, 78 are (or can be) interpreted as nouns, and most would generally be considered loanwords;^[1] However, all of the loanwords on this list are considered to be naturalised in English according to at least one major dictionary (see References), often because they refer to concepts or societal roles that do not have an accurate equivalent in English. For words to appear here, they must appear in their own entry in a dictionary; words that occur only as part of a longer phrase are not included.

Proper nouns are not included in the list. There are, in addition, many place names and personal names, mostly originating from Arabic-speaking countries, Albania, or China, that have a Q without a U. The most familiar of these are the countries of Iraq and Qatar, along with the derived words Iraqi and Qatari. Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, also has a Q that is not directly followed by a U. Qaqortoq,^[2] in Greenland, is notable for having three such Qs. Other proper names and acronyms that have attained the status of English words include Compaq (a computer company),^[3] Nasdaq (a US electronic stock market),^[4] Qantas (an Australian airline),^[5] and QinetiQ (a British technology company).^[6][7] Saqqara (an ancient burial ground in Egypt)^[8] is a proper noun notable for its use of a double Q.

Words[edit]

Unless noted otherwise, all words listed here are assumed to be pluralized by adding -s or -es. References in the «Sources» column relate to the headword in column one; variant spellings are then separately referenced. The sources given are selective, and the absence of a reference to a particular dictionary does not necessarily mean that the word does not appear in that dictionary.

In American and Canadian English, there are currently 4,422 words with Q no to followed by U including the following words in the table below.

Uses in Scrabble[edit]

In many word games, notably in Scrabble, a player must build a word using a certain set of letters. If a player is obliged to use a q but does not have a u, it may be possible to play words from this list. Not all words in this list are acceptable in Scrabble tournament games. Scrabble tournaments around the world use their own sets of words from selected dictionaries that may not contain all the words listed here.

Qi is the most commonly played word in Scrabble tournaments,^[10] and was added to the official North American word list in 2006.^[11]

Other words listed in this article, such as suq, umiaq or qiviut, are also acceptable, but since these contain a u, they are less likely to be useful in the situation described.^[12]

List of dictionaries cited[edit]

• [AH]: The American Heritage Dictionary (4 ed.). Dell. 2001. ISBN 0-440-23701-7.
• [AHC]: American Heritage College Dictionary (4 ed.). Houghton Mifflin. 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-83595-9.
• [AOX]: «Ask Oxford». Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
• [C]: The Chambers Dictionary (9 ed.). Chambers. 2003. ISBN 0-550-10105-5.
• [Co]: Collins English Dictionary (3 ed.). HarperCollins. 1994. ISBN 0-00-470678-1.
• [COD]: Concise Oxford Dictionary (8 ed.). Clarendon. 1990. ISBN 0-19-861200-1.
• [E]: «Microsoft Encarta online dictionary». Archived from the original on November 2, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2006.
• [L]: The Longman Dictionary of the English Language (5 ed.). Longman. 1988. ISBN 0-582-55511-6.
• [LC]: The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (4 ed.). Longman. 2003. ISBN 0-582-77649-X.
• [MW]: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11 ed.). Merriam-Webster. 2003. ISBN 0-87779-809-5.
• [MWO]: «Merriam-Webster online dictionary». Retrieved May 29, 2006.
• [ODE]: Oxford Dictionary of English (2 ed.). Oxford UP. 2003. ISBN 0-19-861347-4.
• [OED]: Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford UP. 2003. ISBN 0-19-861347-4.
• [OSPD4]: The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (4 ed.). Merriam-Webster. 2005. ISBN 0-87779-929-6.
• [RHU]: Random House Unabridged Dictionary (2 ed.). Random House. 1998. ISBN 0-517-19931-9.
• [RHW]: Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (2 ed.). Random House. 2005. ISBN 0-375-42599-3.
• [SOED]: The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (3 ed.). Clarendon. 1992. ISBN 0-19-861294-X.
• [TWL]: Official Tournament and Club Word List (2 ed.). Merriam-Webster. 2006. ISBN 0-87779-635-1.
• [W]: Random House Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Random House Reference. 2000. ISBN 0-375-42560-8.
• [WI]: Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster. 2002. ISBN 0-87779-201-1.

See also[edit]

• Constrained writing
• English words without vowels

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Quick…quote some quality colloquialisms or quips featuring Q without U. It is not as easy as it might seem. In fact, a common resource used by avid Scrabble players (the games instruction manual) shows only 21 options. However, there are many more than that (more than 2,000 in fact), and you should try to memorize as many of them as you can if you wish to become a thoroughly competitive Scrabble expert.

Start With Two and Three Letters

One of the simplest ways to free yourself of the points-heavy letter Q (it has ten points, as does the Z tile, but that’s a letter for a different article), is to use it in a two or three letter word. There are no commonly used two letter options apart from QI (a vital force in all things, according to Chinese philosophy), and there are two three-letter words that use it without a U – QAT and QIS.

The former is a variation of khat, which is both a shrub and illegal drug in China. The latter is a term often used in traditional Chinese medicine to describe the life force. Though you don’t have to know the meanings of these terms to use them, it can be empowering to counter any challenge by not only knowing they appear in the official Scrabble dictionaries and word lists, but also whipping out their definitions.

English or Scrabble and/or WWF Accepted?

However, the title of this article does say “English” words, and those are both terms that originate in the Chinese language. There are not a lot of words spelt using Q without U that also originate strictly from the English. What we really should have entitled the article, was “Scrabble and Words With Friends Words Containing Q Not Followed By U” as the words we are going to consider are all acceptable in both scenarios. So, now that we have clarified, let’s move past those three letter words…

Beyond Three Letters

If you look at a list of Q without U words on another website, the etymology of the terms provided actually reads like a global adventure. You see Arabic, Yemen, Persia and France, Latin and Middle English, and that is just in the first three or four words! Of course, that is the beauty of playing word games like Scrabble or Words with Friends – they don’t just challenge you to use your existing vocabulary, but actually increase it.

For example, at the Merriam Webster Dictionary page dedicated to those eager to build their arsenal of Q without U words allowed in popular games, we find cinq and qoph, and the five letter words are even more abundant, offering faqir and niqab as well as qanat and tranq. There are six letter variants and options going all the way to nine letter words – and all without a single Q appearing.

The Possibility for Bingos

While the reason you want to rid yourself of that Q as quickly as possible has to do with its hefty ten-point value, never overlook the fact that it could be the key to a BINGO. Using all seven tiles at once can take a lot of cunning, but you improve your odds because of the unusual nature of so many of the Q without U words. As a prime example, MBAQANGAS…that’s an actual word (it is a type of South African dance music), and as delicious as it might be to sound it out, you might find yourself also using up an awkward rack of mixed tiles because of it!

Note -> As a final word of advice, it is also a good idea to use resources like the Merriam Webster online Scrabble tool to also learn about “words you can build” from your Q without words. For example, there is a startling number of words you can make from MBAQANGAS and knowing them can be a major advantage!

This list is incomplete. For a more complete list, see Category:English words containing Q not followed by U.

In English, the letter q is usually followed by the letter u. While this is true in the vast majority of cases, there are some exceptions, the majority of which are romanised from Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Inuktitut, or other languages which do not use the English alphabet, with q representing a sound not found in English. For example, in the Chinese pinyin alphabet, qi is pronounced /tʃi/, as pinyin uses ‹q› to represent the sound [tɕʰ], which is approximated as [tʃ] in English. In other examples, q represents [q] (in standard Arabic, such as in qat, faqir and Qur’ān, and alternative spellings are sometimes accepted which use k in place of q).

Almost all of these words are nouns, and most would generally be considered loanwords. However, they are all considered to be naturalised in English according to at least one major dictionary (see References), often because they refer to concepts or societal roles that do not have an accurate equivalent in English. For words to appear here, they must appear in their own entry in a dictionary; words which occur only as part of a longer phrase are not included.

In addition, there are many place names and personal names, mostly originating from North Africa, the Middle East or China, that have a q without a u. The most familiar of these are the countries of Iraq and Qatar, along with the derived words Iraqi and Qatari. Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, also has a q which is not directly followed by a u. Qaqortoq and Qeqertarsuaq, both in Greenland, are notable for having three naked qs. Other proper names and acronyms that have attained the status of English words include: Compaq (a computer company), Qantas (an Australian airline), Nasdaq (the US electronic stock market) and QinetiQ (a British technology company). Zaqqum (a tree mentioned in the Qur’an) and Saqqara are proper nouns notable for their use of a double q. However, the nouns in this list are common nouns. See also: Appendix:English proper nouns containing Q not followed by U.

Words[edit]

Unless noted otherwise all words listed here are assumed to be pluralized by adding -s or -es. References in the «Sources» column relate to the headword in column one; variant spellings are then separately referenced. The sources given are selective, and the absence of a reference to a particular dictionary does not necessarily mean that the word does not appear in that dictionary.

Uses[edit]

In many word games, most famously in Scrabble, a player must build a word using a certain set of letters. Therefore, if a player is obliged to use a Q but does not have a U, it may be useful to construct words from this list. In Scrabble in North America, the only acceptable words with a Q and not a U are qi, qat, qaid, qadi, qoph, qanat, tranq, faqir, sheqel, qabala, qabalah, qindar, qintar, qindarka, mbaqanga, and qwerty, along with their plurals (such as qats and sheqalim).[ TWL ] Other words in this list, such as suq and qiviut, are also acceptable, but since these contain a U, they are less likely to be useful.

See also[edit]

• Category:English words containing Q not followed by U

References[edit]

• [AH]: The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition →ISBN
• [AHC]: American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, 2000
• [AOX]: Ask Oxford Last accessed May 29, 2006.
• [C]: The Chambers Dictionary, 2003
• [Co]: Collins English Dictionary, Third Edition (updated 1994)
• [COD]: The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Eighth Edition, 1990
• [E]: Microsoft Encarta online dictionary Last accessed May 29, 2006.
• [L]: The Longman Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition, 1988 →ISBN
• [LC]: The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Fourth Edition, 2003
• [MW]: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition
• [MWO]: Merriam-Webster online dictionary Last accessed May 29, 2006.
• [ODE]: Oxford Dictionary of English, Second Edition, 2003 →ISBN
• [OED]: Oxford English Dictionary, 2003
• [OSPD4]: The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 2005 →ISBN
• [RHU]: Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 1997
• [RHW]: Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, 2005 →ISBN
• [SOED]: The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Third Edition, 1992
• [W]: Random House Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2000
• [WI]: Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged →ISBN

Q without U Scrabble / WWF Words

A list of Scrabble and WWF words containing (often starting with) Q but no U.

More Word Lists Here!

Please let us know if you think a word is missing! Occasionally new words are added to the official player dictionaries.

Are there any two letter words ending in Q?

Please see our Crossword & Codeword, Words With Friends or Scrabble word helpers if that’s what you’re looking for….2-letter words ending with Q.

What is a 3 letter word ending with Q?

3-letter words ending with Q

Is the letter Q always followed by the letter U?

In English, the letter Q is almost always followed by the letter U. For word games like Scrabble or Words with Friends it is helpful to have a list of words with Q and no U, because you are limited by the tiles that are available.

Are there any words that do not start with the letter Q?

Other short Q words without U to keep in mind are QAT, QIS and SUQ. QAT, an alternative spelling of khat, refers to the leaves of the Catha edulis shrub. People chew them like tobacco or brew them like tea for a euphoric effect. It’s illegal in China.

Is the letter Q always followed by an U in Scrabble?

The letter Q isn’t always followed by a U — just look at these words. The letter Q is almost always followed by a U in English, but that isn’t always the case. Scrabble players tend to struggle with words using a Q, but experienced players know they don’t need a U to follow it.

Where does the Q come from in English?

Many of those words are borrowed from other languages. Arabic and Hebrew are two especially common sources, as in English the Q is often used to represent the more guttural “K” sound that appears in those languages.

For a more complete list, see Category:English words containing Q not followed by U . In English, the letter q is usually followed by the letter u.

In English, the letter Q is almost always followed by the letter U. For word games like Scrabble or Words with Friends it is helpful to have a list of words with Q and no U, because you are limited by the tiles that are available.

The letter Q isn’t always followed by a U — just look at these words. The letter Q is almost always followed by a U in English, but that isn’t always the case. Scrabble players tend to struggle with words using a Q, but experienced players know they don’t need a U to follow it.

Many of those words are borrowed from other languages. Arabic and Hebrew are two especially common sources, as in English the Q is often used to represent the more guttural “K” sound that appears in those languages.

Q words without U

Is the letter Q Always Followed by U?

The letter Q is almost always followed by a U in English, but that isn’t always the case. There are a handful of words that English borrowed from other languages that flout that rule, like burqa, qat, and qabbalah.

Can you use Q without U?

In English, the letter Q is almost always followed by the letter U. One of the lesser known examples of Q words without U is qi which is defined as the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things. …

What letter always comes after Q?

letter U

• Actiq.
• ADIPOQ.
• ADQ.
• AHRQ.
• AMQ.
• Anqing.
• AOQL.
• AQ.

Are there any two letter Q words?

Looking for 2 letter words containing Q? Well, there is only 1 word that contains the letter Q, the wonderful qi (Sometimes spelled chi or ki)!

Do any words end in Q?

There aren’t many words in the English language that end with the letter Q. Some of these words may beobsolete, or rarely used in any language. If you can use words with a Q near the end, you might explore words with Q not followed by U or words ending in -que, -qu, -qe, -qa, -qi, or -qs.

What does Qu mean?

Questions Unlimited

Is Za a real word?

About the Word: ZA (often styled in print as ‘za) is a slang shortening of the word pizza. ZA is the most played word containing the letter Z (and the only playable two-letter word with the letter Z) in tournament SCRABBLE play.

What is a mendacious person?

mendacious /men-DAY-shus/ adjective. : given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth.

What does Objurgation mean?

objurgation • /ahb-jer-GAY-shun/ • noun. : a harsh rebuke.

What means deceive?

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness. deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.

What is it called when someone uses big words?

Sesquipedalian can also be used to describe someone or something that overuses big words, like a philosophy professor or a chemistry textbook. If someone gives a sesquipedalian speech, people often assume it was smart, even if they don’t really know what it was about because they can’t understand the words.

What does Sesquipedalian mean?

1 : having many syllables : long sesquipedalian terms. 2 : given to or characterized by the use of long words a sesquipedalian television commentator.

What does Perpetuous mean?

Filters. (rare) Incessant; perpetual. adjective.

What is the meaning of Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?

What is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis? noun | A lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust, causing inflammation in the lungs.