Words With Q but No U

Drawing a Q without a U is one of the worst feelings in a tile game. The Q is worth 10 points, but most Q words need a U, so it can sit on your rack for turns.

There are only 21 words in the ENABLE list that use a Q without a U. Learning a handful of them is enough to get the Q off your rack.

Learn these first

The short ones are the ones you'll actually get to play:

QAT and QAID are the most useful, because they only need common letters alongside the Q.

The full list

What to do with a lone Q

• Look for an A. Most of the words above use one. With Q and A you're two letters away from QAT or QAID.
• Check the board for a U. A U already on the board can open up the much larger set of words containing Q.
• Use the board letters. Type your rack into the unscrambler, open Advanced options and add a letter that's already on the board under Contains.
• Know when to let it go. If none of this works after a couple of turns, swapping the Q is often better than waiting.