There are many words with Q in both the English and Scrabble dictionaries where it is not a prerequisite for Q words to be U words as well. These usually hail from other languages — mostly from the Middle East and North Africa — but are valid for this purpose.
Q Words Without U That You Need to Know
As Scrabble is a game where certain letter tiles do not always avail themselves, words that have a Q without U are extremely important to have in your brain's arsenal.
These range from 2 letter words all the way up to 8 letter words in length, but we will divide them up into smaller and bigger words for convenience. We will also include definitions for most of the words in order to make it easier to memorize them.
Short Q Words That Don't Have U
Among smaller words, there are the seemingly basic but highly useful "QI," a word hailing from Chinese philosophy meaning life force. You may have heard the more anglicized "chi," perhaps preceded by "tai" to refer to the spiritual development exercise. The plural form of this is simply "QIS," which can also be used for bonus points.
Next, the three-letter "QAT" is a useful word to know. It is an alternative spelling of "khat," which hails from the Arabic script and is the name of a shrub.
There are a handful of 4 letter Q words without U, with "QADI" and "QAID" — meaning "prisoner" and "prison" respectively under Islamic law — being the most common ones. "QOPH," the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet and "WAQF," which involves donating property or money as per Islamic tenets, are rare options.
Long Q Words That Don't Have U
The five-letter "FAQIR" is a Muslim man who lives on donations, while the "NIQAB" is a veil worn by Muslim women. You can also pluralize many of the four-letter words from before to get to this point.
As we move to six letters and beyond, we get many more words of Arabic origin, such as "QAWWAL" and "QABALA." However, there are also some outliers, such as Chinese "QIGONG" exercises, "SHEQEL," an alternate spelling of the Israeli monetary unit, and "MBAQANGA," South African dance music.
Tips and Tricks Regarding Q
With some increased knowledge about this topic, you can actually take Q from being a dreaded tile to a powerful weapon full of point potential.
While it is entirely possible to use even an entire rack's worth of letter tiles with a Q and no U, that will be decidedly rare, and the last thing you want to do is lose out on an opportunity to earn quick and easy points.
Using Bonus Squares Effectively
Although making longer words usually earns more points, there are ways to maximize your earnings by using the right tactics instead of just demonstrating the presence of a stronger vocabulary.
For example, if you have the letters "Q-I-F-A-R-N-P," you can technically make "FAQIR" for a decent 17 points, or even 34 with a Double Word Score bonus tile.
However, if there's a Triple Letter Score available with an "I" underneath or next to it and any of a number of letters that can follow an "I," you can put the Q on it and just make "QI" in two ways and perhaps an additional "IN" or "IT" for a total of 64 points instead.
Playing Defensively
Scrabble and Words With Friends are games of many tactics, and sometimes you have to take the back foot. The tactic stated above can work for your enemy too, so try not to place vowels right next to or underneath bonus letter scores.
Additionally, you'll want to make sure you don't get stuck with a Q at the end of the game, so if the game is nearing its end, you might want to opt for even just a plus 10 instead of a potential minus 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Q words without U in Scrabble by Hasbro.
Is There a Complete List of Q Words without U?
For a complete list of Q words — without U and otherwise, you can scroll up and refer to our list of all the words with Q without U.
Is it Possible to Get a Bingo With a Q Without a U?
Indeed it is! There are several Scrabble words that have a Q and no U and are 7 letters or longer.
