In English, Q is almost always followed by U — but not always. There are over 40 valid Scrabble words containing Q but no U. These words come from Arabic, Hebrew, and other languages that have been absorbed into English dictionaries. Knowing them is a major competitive advantage when you draw a Q with no U in sight.
The Q tile is worth 10 points — the highest value alongside Z. If you draw Q and there's no U available, most players feel stuck. But these 40+ words mean you can always play your Q. The most useful one: QI — a 2-letter word worth 11 points that can be played almost anywhere on the board.
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QI | 11 | The vital life force in Chinese philosophy (also written as "chi"). Valid in all major Scrabble dictionaries. |
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QAT | 12 | A shrub whose leaves are chewed as a stimulant (also spelled "khat"). Common in East Africa and Yemen. |
| QIN | 12 | A Chinese stringed instrument (also spelled "qin"). The same word as "chin" in instrument names. |
| QIS | 12 | Plural of QI. When in doubt, pluralize. |
| SUQ | 12 | An Arab marketplace or bazaar (variant spelling of "souk"). Useful for those tricky Q-ending plays. |
| TAQ | 12 | Valid in some dictionaries — a variant spelling used in some word game lists. |
| QUA | 12 | In the capacity of; as being. Example: "He spoke qua scientist." Latin-derived, valid in Scrabble. |
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QADI | 14 | A Muslim judge who interprets and administers Islamic law. Also spelled "cadi" or "kadi". |
| QAFF | 18 | The 21st letter of the Arabic alphabet. |
| QAID | 14 | A Muslim civil or military leader. Variant of "caid." |
| QOPH | 18 | The 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. One of the highest-scoring 4-letter Scrabble words. |
| QOPH | 18 | Also spelled KOPH — 19th letter of Hebrew alphabet. |
| SUQS | 13 | Plural of SUQ. |
| QATS | 13 | Plural of QAT. |
| QINS | 13 | Plural of QIN. |
| QANAT | 14 | An ancient Persian underground irrigation channel. Singular = QANAT, 4 letters. |
| QOPH | 18 | Hebrew letter — one of the most useful Q-no-U words for high-score plays. |
| QOPH | 18 | Alternate: KOPH (same letter, different transliteration). |
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QANAT | 14 | An ancient Persian underground water channel used for irrigation. Still in use today in Iran. |
| QOPHS | 19 | Plural of QOPH — Hebrew letter. |
| QADIS | 15 | Plural of QADI — Muslim judges. |
| QAIDS | 15 | Plural of QAID — Muslim leaders. |
| TRANQ | 14 | Short for tranquilizer. Used as both noun and verb: "We tranqed the animal." |
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QANATS | 15 | Plural of QANAT. |
| TRANQS | 15 | Plural of TRANQ. Short for tranquilizers. |
| QINTAR | 15 | A monetary unit of Albania equal to 1/100 of a lek. |
| QIGONG | 16 | A Chinese system of breathing exercises for health and meditation. Increasingly common. |
| Word | Points | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| QINTARS | 16 | Plural of QINTAR. |
| TSADDIQ | 19 | A righteous and saintly person in Jewish tradition. Variant: TZADDIQ. |
| TZADDIQ | 27 | Variant of TSADDIQ. One of the highest-scoring Scrabble words with Q and no U. |
| QABALAH | 19 | Variant spelling of Kabbalah — Jewish mystical tradition. |
| QOPH | 18 | See above. Plural: QOPHS. |
Memorize these 8 words and you'll never be stuck with a Q in Scrabble again:
| Word | Points | Why It's Useful |
|---|---|---|
| QI | 11 | 2-letter word — plays anywhere, opens hooks for future plays |
| QIS | 12 | Plural of QI — useful when QI is already on the board |
| QOPH | 18 | 4-letter, 18 points — great for tight boards |
| QAT | 12 | 3-letter word — easy to place on a crowded board |
| QADI | 14 | 4-letter word — plays cleanly with common letters A, D, I |
| TRANQ | 14 | 5-letter word — uses T, R, A, N which are common rack tiles |
| QINTAR | 15 | 6-letter — great when you have I, N, T, A, R alongside Q |
| SUQ | 12 | Q at the end — one of very few words where Q is the final letter |
Most Scrabble words with Q put it at the start. These rare words end in Q — useful when you need to dump Q on a closed board:
Scan the board for any vowel — particularly I — that you can hook QI onto. QI played on a double-letter square scores 22 points (Q on DLS = 20, plus I = 1, plus 1 for any parallel word formed). On a triple-letter square, Q scores 30 before bonuses.
If there's an A and T available on the board (or in your rack), QAT opens up. It can also be extended: QATS (if S is available) or combined with parallel words.
If no Q-no-U word fits yet, hold the Q and position yourself near a triple-letter or triple-word square. When a vowel lands in the right spot, you'll score big. Never exchange the Q — the 10 points are too valuable to waste a turn on an exchange.
If QI is already on the board, adding an S to make QIS (if nobody has blocked it) is a quick 12-point play. This is one of the most underused moves by intermediate players.
Enter your rack tiles into our free word unscrambler and instantly see every valid word — including all Q-without-U plays, sorted by length.
Try the Free Unscrambler →Yes. QI is valid in all major Scrabble dictionaries including the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD), the Tournament Word List (TWL), and SOWPODS/Collins. It is the only valid 2-letter Q word in English Scrabble.
TZADDIQ (27 base points) is the highest-scoring Q-without-U word. Played across a triple-word square, it can score 81+ points. QOPH (18 points) is the highest-scoring shorter option.
QOPH is valid in SOWPODS/Collins Scrabble Words (used internationally) and in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. Always verify with your tournament ruleset, as TWL and SOWPODS sometimes differ on less-common words.
In everyday English, very few. QI is the most recognized — it appears in yoga, martial arts, and Chinese medicine contexts. QIGONG is increasingly common in Western health contexts. QANAT appears in archaeology and history writing.