Q Words Without U: The Complete List

Updated October 22, 2026 · 4 min read

Drawing the Q without a U is one of the most frustrating moments in Scrabble. The Q is worth 10 points, but it can sit on your rack for turns while you wait for a U that never arrives. The fix is to know the small family of words that don't need one.

The complete list

The ENABLE word list used by WordJumbler contains exactly 29 words with a Q that is not followed by a U. Here they are, shortest first:

QAT SUQ QAID QATS QOPH SUQS FAQIR QAIDS QANAT QOPHS TRANQ UMIAQ BUQSHA FAQIRS QANATS QINDAR QINTAR QIVIUT QWERTY SHEQEL TRANQS UMIAQS BUQSHAS QINDARS QINTARS QIVIUTS QWERTYS QINDARKA SHEQALIM

Most of these are plurals or close relatives of a much smaller set of base words. Learn the base words and the rest follow.

The base words and what they mean

Also in the list: SHEQALIM (a plural of SHEQEL) and QINDARKA (a plural of QINDAR). Nearly all of these words were borrowed into English from Arabic, Hebrew, Albanian or Inuit languages, where the sound written as Q is not followed by a U.

The three you must know: QAT, QAID and QOPH

If you only learn three words from this page, make them these:

• QAT needs only an A and a T, two of the most common tiles in the bag. It scores 12 points before any premium squares. QATS takes an S.
• QAID adds an I and a D, again very common tiles. QAIDS is valid too.
• QOPH is useful when you have an O and the H, and the H adds 4 more points.

Also worth knowing: SUQ lets you play the Q at the end of a word, which can be handy for reaching a premium square.

A note on QI

Many players know QI as the easiest Q-without-U word of all. It is valid in current official Scrabble dictionaries, but it is a newer addition and is not part of the ENABLE list, so WordJumbler won't show it. If your game uses an official tournament dictionary, QI is a great play; check your game's rules first.

Strategy: what to do when you have the Q

1. Count the U's. A standard English Scrabble set has four U's and two blanks. If several have already been played, waiting for a U is risky.
2. Look for QAT and QAID first. Check whether you hold an A plus a T, or an A, I and D. If so, play the Q now and take the points.
3. Use the board. You don't need every letter on your rack. If there is an A on the board with space around it, you can build QAT through it.
4. Consider exchanging. If none of these work and the game is young, swapping the Q (and other poor tiles) can be better than holding it for many turns. Near the end of the game an unplayed Q costs you 10 points, so get rid of it early.

Short Q words that do use a U

If you're lucky enough to have the U, these short words get the Q down quickly. They are all in WordJumbler's dictionary:

QUA AQUA QUAD QUAG QUAI QUAY QUEY QUID QUIN QUIP QUIT QUIZ QUOD

QUA (in the capacity of) is the shortest. QUIZ uses both the Q and the Z, but a standard English set has only one Z, so you'd need a blank for a second heavy letter in other words like it. QUAI and QUEY are less familiar: a quai is a quay, and a quey is a young cow.

Words that end in Q

Only three words in our dictionary end with the letter Q: SUQ, TRANQ and UMIAQ. They are worth remembering because they let you put the Q at the end of a word, which is sometimes the only way to reach a premium square without opening the board for your opponent.

Check any Q word instantly

Type your rack into WordJumbler, including the Q. If a valid Q word exists, it will appear in the results. Click it to read its definition. Set the Starts with filter to Q to see only words that begin with it.

Try it in WordJumbler →