For many casual Scrabble players, drawing a Q is more likely to inspire fear rather than joy. But the 10-point letter should be seen as a source of high-scoring plays. Learning the 33 words that use a Q but not a U (or use both, but not in the QU sequence) can go a long way toward improving your results.

You might also want to learn Scrabble's legal two-letter words and words with no vowels. Use the Scrabble word lists so you can improve your Scrabble play.

The Official "Legal" Scrabble Dictionary

As you play Scrabble more often, you'll probably find yourself playing against people who gleefully plop down words you've never heard of, such as "qoph." When this happens, you may want to challenge your opponent and risk losing a turn. But is "qoph" really a playable word? The only way to find out is to consult the official Scrabble dictionary that is, according to Hasbro's Scrabble website, Merriam-Webster's Official Scrabble® Players Dictionary, Fourth Edition (OSPD4).

If you're playing Scrabble without a paper version of the dictionary by your side, you can challenge and check words online. Hasbro offers both a word checker and a word builder on its site (though of course the word builder can only be used when not playing competitively).

The Spruce / Alison Czinkota

Q Without U Words in Alphabetical Order

These words are legal according to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition. They may not be legal if you use a different dictionary. The word list used in tournament games in the United States is known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, created by the National Scrabble Association.

FAQIR (Muslim or Hindu monk)

FAQIRS (plural of FAQIR)

MBAQANGA (a style of South African music)

MBAQANGAS (plural of MBAQANGA)

QABALA (occult or secret doctrine, a variation of CABALA)

QABALAH (variation of CABALA and QABALA)

QABALAS (plural of QABALA)

QABALAHS (plural of QABALAH)

QADI (Islamic judge)

QADIS (plural of QADI)

QAID (a Muslim tribal chief or senior official)

QAIDS (plural of QAID)

QANAT (gently sloping underground tunnel for irrigation)

QANATS (plural of QANAT)

QAT (leaf of the shrub Catha edulis)

QATS (plural of QAT)

QI (circulating life energy in Chinese philosophy)

QIS (plural of QI)

QINDAR (Albanian currency, a variation of QINTAR)

QINDARKA (plural of QINDAR)

QINDARS (plural of QINDAR)

QINTAR (Albanian currency)

QINTARS (plural of QINTAR)

QIVIUT (musk-ox wool)

QIVIUTS (plural of QIVIUT)

QOPH (the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

QOPHS (plural of QOPH)

QWERTY (the traditional configuration of computer keyboard keys)

QWERTYS (plural of QWERTY)

SHEQALIM (plural of SHEQEL)

SHEQEL (any of several ancient units of weight)

TRANQ (sedative)

TRANQS (plural of TRANQ)

UMIAQ (a type of Eskimo boat)

UMIAQS (plural of UMIAQ)

Q Without U Words by Word Length

QI

QAT

QIS

QADI

QAID

QATS

QOPH

FAQIR

QADIS

QAIDS

QANAT

QOPHS

TRANQ

UMIAQ

FAQIRS

QABALA

QANATS

QINDAR

QINTAR

QIVIUT

QWERTY

SHEQEL

TRANQS

UMIAQS

QABALAH

QABALAS

QINDARS

QINTARS

QIVIUTS

QWERTYS

QABALAHS

MBAQANGA

QINDARKA

SHEQALIM

MBAQANGAS