Do you have questions about the qualities of the English vocabulary words that start with Q? Perhaps there’s a quiz in your future you don’t feel qualified for, or a quotation you’ve heard that leads you to query the spelling and pronunciation of these words, and you’re in a quandary.

It’s true that Q words give many people problems in spelling and pronunciation, especially those words that come directly from other languages. In this post we’ll discuss a few of the common issues we’ve found that cause most of the difficulties, and give some explanations and examples.

Pronunciation of words beginning with Q. In general, if a word starts with Q (and in all common English words it’s always followed by a U) the sound that the ‘qu’ combination makes is KW. The exceptions to this rule are generally foreign words that have been adopted into English without a change in pronunciation – but of course there are exceptions to those exceptions!

quahog (KWAH-hog) noun
A large clam found along the North Atlantic coast.

querulous (KWEH-ruh-luss) adjective
Whiny or complaining all the time.

quintessence (kwin-TEH-suhns) noun
The perfect example of a particular quality.

quotidian (kwoh-TIH-dee-uhn) adjective
Everyday, ordinary, happening daily.

One of the exceptions is the word queue, pronounced KEW. Though this has been a common English word for “line (of people, usually)” since the 19th century it still retains its 15th-century (and current) French pronunciation. Another French word without the KW sound is quenelle (kuh-NELL), a poached dumpling usually made of meat or fish scraps mixed with flour or potatoes.

At the end of a word, the ‘qu’ sound is generally pronounced K, though there are a few instances where it becomes a separate syllable.

burlesque (bur-LESK)
antique (an-TEEK)
picturesque (PIK-tyur-ESK)
unique (yew-NEEK)
barbeque (BAR-beh-kew)
applique (ah-plee-KAY)
risque (ris-KAY)

Spelling of words beginning with Q. After all of the exceptions listed above, you’ll be relieved to know that – other than the few foreign words mostly used by Scrabble players, like qat and qanat – in English the letter Q is always followed by a U, and the U is always followed by another vowel. In fact, this rule holds true no matter where the Q appears in the word.

Quis leget haec?