List of English words containing a Q not followed by a U

Categories: Lists of English words | English spelling

It is often said that, in English, a Q must always be followed by a U. While this is true for the vast majority of words, there are a small number of words which contain a Q that is not followed by a U.

The majority of these are naturalised from Chinese, Hebrew or other languages which do not use the Roman alphabet and represent sounds not found in English. For example, qi is pronounced /tʃi:/ as Pinyin uses ‹q› to represent the sound /tɕʰ/, which sounds like /tʃ/ to Englishspeakers. In other examples, the Q represents /k/, such as qat and faqir, and alternative spellings are accepted which use a K in place of the Q.

It is notable that all 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), since they refer to concepts or societal roles that do not have an accurate equivalent in English. Words must appear in their own entry, not as part of a longer phrase.

A large number of archaic spellings have been pruned from the list. These incorporate the use of the formerly common QW to represent QU (for example, sqware) or QH replacing WH (for example, qhere) which are two alternate spellings using common letter combinations in the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary.

  • buqsha - a former Yemeni monetary unit. Plural buqshas. [3]
  • burqa - a veiled garment worn by Muslim women. Plural burqas. [1][4][5][7][10]
  • cinq - the number five, as signified in dice or cards. Plural cinqs. [1][2][10]
  • cinqfoil - a plant of genus Potentilla, or ornamental design thereof. Plural cinqfoils. [6][10]
  • faqir - a Muslim ascetic. Plural faqirs [3].
  • fiqh - Muslim jurisprudence. Plural fiqhs. [1]
  • inqilab - a revolution in India or Pakistan. Plural inqilabs. [5]
  • mbaqanga - a style of South African music. Plural mbaqangas. [1][5][8]
  • muqaddam - a Bangladeshi headman. Plural muqaddams. [5]
  • nastaliq - an Arabic script used in Persian writings. Plural nastaliqs. [10]
  • nestaliq - alternative spelling of nastaliq. Plural nestaliqs. [10]
  • pontacq - a sweet win from Pontac. [10]
  • qabab - alternative spelling of kebab. Plural qababs. [10]
  • qabala - alternate spelling of qabalah. Plural qabalas. [7]
  • qabalah - alternate spelling of kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. Plural qabalahs. [5][7]
  • qadhi - alternative spelling of qadi. Plural qadhis. [10]
  • qadi - a Muslim judge. Plural qadis. [3][5][8][10]
  • qaimaqam - a minor official of the Ottoman Empire. Plural qaimaqams. [5][10]
  • qalamdan - a Persian writing-case. Plural qalamdans. [5]
  • qanat - an underground channel. Plural qanats. [1][5][10]
  • qanon - a type of harp or sackbut. Plural qanons. [10]
  • qanun - alternate spelling of qanon. Plural qanuns. [10]
  • qasida - an Arabian poem of praise or satire. Plural qasidas. [5][10]
  • qat - a kind of Arabian shrub utilized as a narcotic. Plural qats. [3][5][10]
  • qawwal - a person who practises qawwali music. Plural qawwals. [1][5]
  • qawwali - devotional music of the Sufis. Plural qawwalis. [1][5]
  • qazi - alternative spelling of qadi. Plural qazis. [10]
  • qere - a marginal reading in the Hebrew bible. Plural qeres. [10]
  • qhat - obselete spelling of what. [10]
  • qheche - obselete spelling of which. [10]
  • qhom - obselete spelling of whom. [10]
  • qhythsontyd - obselete spelling of Whitsuntide. [10]
  • qi - a physical life force. Plural qis. [1][5][7][10]
  • qiana - a type of nylon. Plural qianas. [10]
  • qibla - the point to which Muslims turn in prayer. Plural qiblas. [1][2][5][10]
  • qiblah - alternative spelling of qibla. Plural qiblahs. [10]
  • qibli - a local Libyan name for the sirocco. Plural qiblis. [10]
  • qigong - a system of meditational exercises, also qi gong. Plural qigongs. [1][5]
  • qindar - alternate spelling of qintar. [3] Plural qindars [5] or qindarka [3 (qindarka only)].
  • qindarka - plural of qindar. [1]
  • qinghaosu - A drug used to treat malaria. Plural qinghaosus. [5]
  • qintar - an Albanian unit of currency, equal to one one-hundredth of a Lek. [3] Plural qintar [5], qintars [5] or qindarka [3]. [1]
  • qiviut - the wool of the musk-ox. Plural qiviuts. [10]
  • qoph - the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Plural qophs. [3][5]
  • qs - plural of Q, the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet. [1]
  • qt - quiet; in such usages as "on the qt". [3]
  • qwerty - the display of letters on top of a standard qwerty keyboard; plural qwerties. [1][2][4] Plural qwertys or qwerties. [5][10]
  • rencq - obselete spelling of rank. [10]
  • sambuq - a small Arabian boat. Plural sambuqs. [10]
  • sheqel - a unit of weight originally used in Mesopotamia; the currency of Israel, divided into 100 agorot. Plural sheqels or sheqalim. [9]
  • suq - A Muslim marketplace. Plural suqs. [1][5][10]
  • talaq - a form of Islamic divorce.. Plural talaqs. [1][5][10]
  • taliq - variant of nastaliq. Plural taliqs. [10]
  • taluq - an Indian estate. Plural taluqs. [10]
  • taluqdar - a person who collects the taluq's revenues. Plural taluqdars. [10]
  • taluqdari - an Indian landholding tenure. Plural taluqdaris. [10]
  • tranq - short form of tranquillizer, but written without a period and so eligible in its own right. Plural tranqs. [10]
  • tsaddiq - a term bestowed upon those who are righteous. Plural tsaddiqs or tsaddiqim. [5][10]
  • tsaddiqim - plural of tsaddiq. [5][10]
  • tzaddiq - alternative spelling of tsaddiq. Plural tzaddiqs or tzaddiqim. [5][10]
  • tzaddiqim - plural of tzaddiq. [5][10]
  • waqf - a charitable trust in Muslim law. Plural waqf [1] or waqfs. [5][10]
  • yaqona - an intoxicating beverage. Plural yaqonas. [5][10]
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References