Are there words that contain the letter 'q' without a 'u' following it?
In the spelling of all standard English words, the letter q is followed by u. The Oxford Dictionary of English does contain various words in which q is not followed by u: all but one (QWERTY) have reached English from other languages:
- niqab - a veil worn by some Muslim women
- qanat - (in the Middle East) an irrigation channel
- qawwal - a performer of qawwali
- qawwali - Muslim devotional music
- qibla - the direction towards Mecca
- qigong - a Chinese system of physical exercises
- qintar - a monetary unit of Albania
- QWERTY - the standard layout of typewriters and keyboards
- tariqa - the Sufi method of spiritual learning
See other Vocabulary Questions.