Words That Start With Q: Q Words With and Without U
Q words for kids and word games: words that start with Q, words with Q in the middle, why Q is almost always followed by U and the few words where it is not.
By Polarzinho ·
Q is the clingiest letter in the alphabet. In English it almost always travels with a U, just like me and my bamboo.
Here are Q words for kids and word games: words that start with Q, words with Q in the middle, the QU sound rule and the rare words where Q goes solo.
Words that start with Q
- queen
- quick
- quiet
- quilt
- quiz
- question
- quack
- quail
- quarter
- quote
- quill
- queue
Words with Q in the middle
- square
- squid
- squirrel
- equal
- liquid
- aquarium
- earthquake
- require
The QU sound
Most of the time, QU sounds like "kw": queen, quick, square.
In some words borrowed from French, QU just sounds like "k":
- unique
- antique
- plaque
- mosquito
- quiche
- conquer
Q words without U
- Qatar: a country.
- Iraq: a country.
- Qi: a word for life energy, allowed in many word games.
- Qat: a plant, also allowed in many word games.
Q answers for Stop
- Animal: quail, quokka.
- Food: quiche, quinoa, quesadilla.
- Country: Qatar.
- Name: Quinn.
- Object: quilt.
In Polar Games' Stop!, the draw only picks letters that have known answers in the round's categories. If Q comes up, there is a way out.
Practice by playing
In Letter River you drag across letters to spell the answer to each clue. Great for spelling practice at your own pace.
FAQ
Why is Q always followed by U?
English took the QU spelling from Latin and French. Words without U, like Qatar, usually come from other languages.
What animal starts with Q?
Quail and quokka.
What food starts with Q?
Quiche, quinoa and quesadilla.
Your turn
Say these out loud: queen, unique, square and antique. Which ones have the "kw" sound?