Words with Q but no U
By Solve A Word · Published 24 August 2026
You're staring at your rack and there it is. The Q. Ten points of potential sitting there, but you've got no U anywhere. No U on the board in a useful spot either. This happens more often than you'd think: the bag has 12 U tiles but only 1 Q, so roughly 1 in every 4 games you'll draw the Q without having a U handy when you need one.
Don't panic. There are 33 valid Q-without-U words in the SOWPODS dictionary (used in international and UK tournament Scrabble). TWL, the North American tournament dictionary, accepts a slightly smaller set. Here's every single one, organised by length, with definitions, point values, and which dictionary accepts them.
2-letter words
There's exactly one. And it's the most played Q word in competitive Scrabble worldwide.
QI (11 points) refers to the life force in Chinese philosophy. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL. This is your emergency exit. Two tiles, 11 points minimum, and you've dumped the Q. On a double letter score under the Q, it's 21 points. On a triple letter? 31. And because it's only 2 letters, it fits almost anywhere on the board.
3-letter words
QAT (12 points): a plant whose leaves are chewed as a stimulant, particularly in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL.
QIS (12 points): plural of QI. Valid in both dictionaries. Handy when there's already an S hook available.
SUQ (12 points): an open-air marketplace in Arab countries (also spelled souk). SOWPODS only; not valid in TWL.
4-letter words
QADI (14 points): an Islamic judge who rules on religious law. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL.
QAID (14 points): a Muslim judge or chief, variant of CAID. Valid in both dictionaries.
QOPH (18 points): the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL. The PH gives it good scoring potential.
QATS (13 points): plural of QAT. Valid in both dictionaries.
SUQS (13 points): plural of SUQ. SOWPODS only.
5-letter words
QADIS (15 points): plural of QADI. Valid in both dictionaries.
QAIDS (15 points): plural of QAID. Both dictionaries.
QIBLA (16 points): the direction of Mecca, which Muslims face during prayer. SOWPODS and TWL.
QOPHS (19 points): plural of QOPH. Both dictionaries. One of the highest-scoring 5-letter Q-no-U words because of that PH combination.
TRANQ (14 points): informal short form of tranquilliser. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL.
FAQIR (17 points): a Muslim or Hindu monk who lives by begging. Valid in both dictionaries.
QANAT (14 points): an irrigation tunnel common in the Middle East. Valid in both SOWPODS and TWL.
6-letter words
QINTAR (15 points): a monetary unit of Albania, equal to one hundredth of a lek. Valid in both dictionaries.
QINTAS (15 points): a variant plural form. SOWPODS only.
QIBLAS (17 points): plural of QIBLA. Both dictionaries.
TRANQS (15 points): plural of TRANQ. Both dictionaries.
FAQIRS (18 points): plural of FAQIR. Both dictionaries.
QANATS (15 points): plural of QANAT. Both dictionaries.
QWERTY (21 points): referring to the standard keyboard layout. Valid in SOWPODS; not in TWL. The Y makes this a high scorer at 21 points before any board multipliers.
7-letter words and longer
QABALAH (21 points): a variant spelling of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. SOWPODS only.
QINTARS (16 points): plural of QINTAR. Both dictionaries.
QWERTYS (22 points): plural of QWERTY. SOWPODS only.
QINTARS (16 points): the standard plural. Both dictionaries.
QABALAH uses all 7 tiles if you've got the right rack, which means a 50-point bonus on top of the base score. That's 71 points before multipliers. It's rare to have Q-A-B-A-L-A-H without a U, but if you do, play it immediately.
Quick reference: point values
| Word | Points | Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| QI | 11 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QAT | 12 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QIS | 12 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| SUQ | 12 | SOWPODS only |
| QADI | 14 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QAID | 14 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QOPH | 18 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QADIS | 15 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QAIDS | 15 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QIBLA | 16 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QOPHS | 19 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| TRANQ | 14 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| FAQIR | 17 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QINTAR | 15 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QWERTY | 21 | SOWPODS only |
| FAQIRS | 18 | SOWPODS + TWL |
| QABALAH | 21 | SOWPODS only |
Strategy: when to play, when to hold, when to swap
You've drawn the Q with no U on your rack. Here's your decision tree.
Can you play QI right now? Look for any I on the board that has an open adjacent square. QI fits into incredibly tight spaces. Even if it only scores 11 points, playing it immediately frees up your rack for your next turn. Holding the Q for multiple turns hoping for a big score usually costs you more in lost flexibility than you'd gain.
Is there a premium square available? If you can place the Q on a double or triple letter square, QI jumps to 21 or 31 points. QAT on a triple word score is 36 points. These are worth waiting 1 turn for, but not 2 or 3.
How many tiles are left in the bag? If there are 40+ tiles remaining, you've got time. The odds of drawing a U within your next 2 turns are reasonable. But if the bag is down to 15 or fewer tiles and you haven't seen many U's come out, those U's might already be on the board or in your opponent's rack. Don't wait.
Should you swap? If you can't play QI or any Q-no-U word and there are at least 7 tiles left in the bag, consider exchanging the Q. You lose a turn but you remove a 10-point liability from your rack. If the game ends with Q on your rack, you lose 10 points and your opponent gains 10. That's a 20-point swing. Swapping early to avoid that endgame penalty is often correct.
Defensive play: blocking Q dumps
If you suspect your opponent has the Q (they're playing oddly, avoiding exchanges, holding tiles), you can make their life harder. Close off spots where QI would fit. Specifically, don't leave isolated I tiles with open adjacent cells. If there's an I on the board with a premium square next to it, play a tile there yourself to block the high-scoring QI placement.
This is advanced stuff, and it only matters in close games. But in tournament play, blocking a triple-letter QI (denying them 31 points) while forcing them to play QI on a non-premium square (11 points) is a 20-point swing from a single defensive placement.
SOWPODS vs TWL: which words work where
If you're playing in the UK, Europe, Australia, or any international tournament, you're using SOWPODS (now officially called Collins Scrabble Words, or CSW). All 33 Q-without-U words listed above are valid.
If you're playing in North America (US and Canada), tournaments use TWL (Tournament Word List, maintained by Hasbro). TWL is more restrictive. The main Q-no-U words that TWL rejects are: SUQ, SUQS, QWERTY, QWERTYS, QABALAH, and QINTAS. Everything else on this list is fine in TWL.
Playing online? It depends on the platform. Words With Friends uses its own proprietary dictionary that's similar to TWL but not identical. Scrabble GO uses TWL for North American players and SOWPODS for international players. Always check which dictionary your app uses in the settings.
Memorisation tips
You don't need to memorise all 33. Focus on these 8 words and you'll cover 95% of real game situations:
- QI (your emergency 2-letter play)
- QAT (when you've got A and T available)
- QOPH (18 points, great if you have O, P, H)
- QADI (when you've got A, D, I)
- QAID (same letters as QADI, different arrangement)
- TRANQ (the only Q-at-the-end word most people know)
- FAQIR (17 points, Q in the middle)
- QIBLA (when you have I, B, L, A)
The rest are mostly plurals of these base words. If you know QADI is valid, you already know QADIS works. Same for QAT/QATS, FAQIR/FAQIRS, and so on.
Real game scenario
Let's say it's turn 7. You've got Q, A, T, R, E, N, L on your rack. The board has an open I with a triple letter square to its left. You can play QI with the Q on the triple letter: that's (10×3) + 1 = 31 points. Solid.
But wait. Is there space for QINTAR anywhere? Q-I-N-T-A-R uses 6 of your 7 tiles and scores 15 points base, more with multipliers. If QINTAR crosses a double word score, that's 30 points and you've cleared 6 tiles from your rack, setting yourself up for a strong next turn.
The right play depends on what's available on the board. But knowing these words exist means you can scan for opportunities that other players simply can't see.
Check your rack for Q plays
Use our word unscrambler to find all plays from your rack. Enter your 7 tiles and it'll show every valid word you can make, including Q-without-U options. It shows point values automatically so you can pick the highest-scoring play.
Got a Q and no U? You've got options. Learn 8 words and you'll never be stuck again.