# Where did the spelling of Iraq come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-spelling-of-iraq-come-from/136292>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 11, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-spelling-of-iraq-come-from/136292 "2002-11-11T17:20:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-spelling-of-iraq-come-from/136292/1 "2002-11-11T17:20:34Z")

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It seems that the news media cannot agree on a way to spell Osama/Usama Bin Laden. It seems that the english language tries to spell the words as phonetically as possible while still maintaining easy of legibility. So, given English “rules” of spelling, how did Iraq become spelled without the “U” and then maybe an “E” too?

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-spelling-of-iraq-come-from/136292/2 "2002-11-11T22:16:44Z")

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[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=143058) will answer your question. In short, the “q” represents a sound present in Arabic, but not in English. The final consonant in the word “Iraq” is not the same sound as the “k” in “kick” – though we English speakers pronounce it that way.