Words Starting With QU

QU Words: The Inseparable Pair

In English, Q practically lives with U. The QU combination goes back to Latin, where it represented the /kw/ sound — and English kept that convention intact. QUEEN, QUICK, QUEST, QUIET, QUOTE — nearly every Q word you'll ever use starts with QU. This makes QU words the bread and butter of Q-tile strategy in Scrabble and Words With Friends. Drawing a Q without a U is every player's nightmare, but drawing QU together opens up hundreds of options across every word length from 3-letter QUA to 15-letter QUINTESSENCE and beyond.

Here's something crossword enthusiasts should know: QU almost always makes the /kw/ sound, but a few borrowed words use QU for a simple /k/ — QUICHE, MOSQUITO, BOUQUET, TECHNIQUE. These French-origin QU words drop the W sound entirely. Crossword clues involving cooking, fabrics, or French culture often lead to these /k/-only QU answers. Another useful pattern: QU words overwhelmingly stress their first or second syllable. QUARTER, QUESTION, QUARREL — you rarely find a QU word with late stress, which helps when you're trying to match a rhythm or meter clue.

Scoring tip: QUIZZIFY isn't a real word, but QUIZZED, QUIZZER, and QUIZZES absolutely are — and they combine Q's 10 points with Z's 10 points for devastating scores. Look for spots on the board where QU can hit a double or triple word square. See words starting with Q for the full picture including Q-without-U words, and check words ending in QUE for French-style endings like UNIQUE and TECHNIQUE. The words starting with J page covers another high-value tile with very different strategy.

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