# Need scrabble words Q but no U **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 3, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067 "2011-04-03T20:13:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/21 "2011-04-04T02:19:23Z")
Are “qrating” (Q rating) and “psandqs” (“Watch your p’s and q’s”) allowed? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/22 "2011-04-04T03:13:30Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Are “qrating” (Q rating) and “psandqs” (“Watch your p’s and q’s”) allowed? Just one-word answers are allowed. No phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/23 "2011-04-04T03:32:59Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Help me think of some Scrabble-eligible words that use a Q but not a U… No U at all? Or just no U following the Q? If so, then there’s burqa (the Muslim garment). ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/24 "2011-04-04T04:51:25Z")
qoph ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/25 "2011-04-04T05:09:18Z")
[Here’s a more complete list of Q without U words](http://www.word-buff.com/Q-without-U.html) for Scrabble players. I don’t know what dictionary that’s based on though. I love this bit: > [@](#): > > I know of at least one player who got to extend QI to QINGHAOSU in a tournament game, and I’ve had Quackle (a free Scrabble game) respond to my opening play of DI with TZADDIQIM. So it can happen. Provided you’ve devoted a few minutes to this list of course… Hasbro doesn’t mention “burqa” on the list of Q-without-U words posted earlier in this thread, but does seem to accept the word when you type it in their own dictionary search. BURQA appears to be one of the words added to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary 4th edition (2005). That’s the edition which introduced QI and ZA. So make sure you know which dictionary you’re playing with. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/26 "2011-04-04T10:47:46Z")
I’ve never played Scrabble “Seriously”, but a lot of the words I’ve seen here are, well, _foreign_ and it’s been my understanding that such things weren’t generally permitted in Scrabble? ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/27 "2011-04-04T13:45:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > By the way, when did “QI” become acceptable in American Scrabble? I remember in the late 90s it was on the British Scrabble two-letter word lists (was that OSW?) , but not the official American Scrabble word lists (OSPD). I remember this coming up when playing Scrabble with British friends. 4th edition of the OSPD, which came out in 2005 ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/28 "2011-04-04T13:50:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > [Here’s a more complete list of Q without U words](http://www.word-buff.com/Q-without-U.html) for Scrabble players. I don’t know what dictionary that’s based on though. It’s apparently based on the British Scrabble dictionary, since several of the words they mention (WAQF, NIQAB, QORMA, TALAQ, etc.) aren’t in the American OSPD. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/29 "2011-04-04T16:06:37Z")
OK, it appears that if [this source is to be trusted](http://www.scrabble-assoc.com/boards/dictionary/ospd4-changes.html), these Q-without-U words were added in the OSPD, 4th edition. QI QIS BURQA BURQAS QADI QADIS QABALA QABALAH QABALAS QABALAHS MBAQANGA What I don’t understand is why that Hasbro word list, which does contain QI and QABALA, etc., does not have BURQA. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/30 "2011-04-04T16:17:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What I don’t understand is why that Hasbro word list, which does contain QI and QABALA, etc., does not have BURQA. Maybe it is because “BURQA” does contain a “U”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/31 "2011-04-04T16:25:28Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Maybe it is because “BURQA” does contain a “U”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/32 "2011-04-04T17:06:23Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Maybe it is because “BURQA” does contain a “U”. However, in my defense, they do list QIVIUT in that list, so it’s inconsistent. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/33 "2011-04-04T17:20:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > However, in my defense, they do list QIVIUT in that list, so it’s inconsistent. I suspect someone took a list of Scrabble words in which Q is not followed by U, editted it down to make a “Q without U at all” list, and missed QIVIUT while spotting BURQA (and SUQ and UMIAQ). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/34 "2011-04-04T17:22:50Z")
I’m confused. I thought Scrabble wasn’t supposed to allow foreign words. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/35 "2011-04-04T17:29:32Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I’m confused. I thought Scrabble wasn’t supposed to allow foreign words. It is to laugh. Scrabble is incredibly inconsistent in this regard. QAT and QOPH are my go-to words, along with QI (of course). I just now played QUEUE on a TWS, though (FB Scrabble). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/36 "2011-04-04T17:37:02Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I’m confused. I thought Scrabble wasn’t supposed to allow foreign words. They don’t, but the line between what is a “foreign” word and what isn’t is not exactly clear. After all, English is built up with borrowed words from many languages Also, they don’t allow proper nouns, but words that have judged to become common nouns or verbs-- like XEROX or FEDEX, for example, are allowed. ETA: as **Ogre** says, it’s really hard to know which ones have been deemed to be Anglicized or common, and which haven’t. You really have to basically just study word lists, and be aware of what dictionary is being used. For example, the current OSPD doesn’t allow vulgarities and other “offensive” words. For example, FUCK and JEW (as in “to jew” somebody) are not allowed, according to the OSPD 3rd and 4th edition (I believe earlier editions allowed both). However, tournament Scrabble, so far as I understand (I’ve never actually played tournament Scrabble–just online versions with tournament rules), use expanded dictionaries that allow these words. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/37 "2011-04-04T17:46:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m confused. I thought Scrabble wasn’t supposed to allow foreign words. Did you know French doesn’t have a word for “entrepreneur”? I mean, if “qi” or “burqa” aren’t English words, then what _is_ the English word for the life-force studied in Chinese mysticism, or for the full-body garment conservative Muslim women wear? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/38 "2011-04-04T17:54:04Z")
Where I went to college (Univ of Tulsa), _ZA_ was in fairly common usage as early as 1976. I thought at the time it was popularized by kids from the Chicago suburbs. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/39 "2011-04-04T17:55:02Z")
My guess would be a foreign word is acceptable if there is no english version equivalent, meaning that if you wanted to convey the meaning of the word in english then the “foreign” word would be used in common speech because there is no other way to do it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067/40 "2011-04-04T18:17:34Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > My guess would be a foreign word is acceptable if there is no english version equivalent, meaning that if you wanted to convey the meaning of the word in english then the “foreign” word would be used in common speech because there is no other way to do it. good point. I know words for foreign currency are accepted words, like “pesos”, “francs”, and “lira”. Spell-checker does not highlight these words when typed in MS Word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-scrabble-words-q-but-no-u/577067.md?page=3)