In English, Q is nearly always followed by U. The exceptions are mostly words borrowed from other languages, and they are very useful in Scrabble when you hold the Q but no U. The ENABLE list contains 29:
| Word | Length | Tile score |
|---|---|---|
| QAT | 3 | 12 |
| SUQ | 3 | 12 |
| QAID | 4 | 14 |
| QATS | 4 | 13 |
| QOPH | 4 | 18 |
| SUQS | 4 | 13 |
| FAQIR | 5 | 17 |
| QAIDS | 5 | 15 |
| QANAT | 5 | 14 |
| QOPHS | 5 | 19 |
| TRANQ | 5 | 14 |
| UMIAQ | 5 | 16 |
| BUQSHA | 6 | 20 |
| FAQIRS | 6 | 18 |
| QANATS | 6 | 15 |
| QINDAR | 6 | 16 |
| QINTAR | 6 | 15 |
| QIVIUT | 6 | 18 |
| QWERTY | 6 | 21 |
| SHEQEL | 6 | 18 |
| TRANQS | 6 | 15 |
| UMIAQS | 6 | 17 |
| BUQSHAS | 7 | 21 |
| QINDARS | 7 | 17 |
| QINTARS | 7 | 16 |
| QIVIUTS | 7 | 19 |
| QWERTYS | 7 | 22 |
| QINDARKA | 8 | 22 |
| SHEQALIM | 8 | 22 |
Where these words come from
Many come from Arabic, Hebrew or Inuit languages: QAT is a plant whose leaves are chewed as a stimulant, QOPH is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, FAQIR is a variant spelling of fakir, and UMIAQ is a type of open boat. QINDAR and QINTAR are units of Albanian currency, and QIVIUT is the wool of the musk ox. QWERTY describes the standard keyboard layout. TRANQ is an informal short form of tranquilliser.
Which ones to learn first
The short words are the most useful because they fit in tight spaces: QAT, SUQ, QAID and QOPH. QATS, QAIDS, SUQS and QOPHS add an S. Note that QI, common in other word lists, is not in ENABLE.
All lists come from the public-domain ENABLE word list. ENABLE is not an official tournament dictionary, so check doubtful words against the list your game uses.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortest word with Q and no U?
In ENABLE, QAT and SUQ, both three letters. QI is shorter but is not in ENABLE.