Drawing a Q in Scrabble without a U used to ruin my day. I would burn a turn exchanging tiles or, worse, get stuck with it at the end and eat the -10 penalty. Then a friend at a local tournament handed me a list of Q-without-U words and told me to memorize it. That list changed everything.
There are more Q-no-U words than most people realize. The TWL06 dictionary (used in North American Scrabble tournaments as of 2026) has over 30 valid Q-without-U words. SOWPODS (the international dictionary) has even more. Here is every single one you can play.
The Short Ones (2-3 Letters)
QI (11 points) – This is the one everyone needs to know. QI is a Chinese philosophical concept meaning “life force” or “vital energy.” It is the single most useful Q-without-U word because it is short, easy to place, and worth 11 points before any multipliers. I play QI at least once every 3-4 games.
QOPH (15 points) – The 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Not used as often as QI, but 15 points for a 4-letter word is solid. Also spelled KOPH (14 points) but the Q version scores one more point.
The Essential Q-No-U List (TWL06)
These are all valid in North American Scrabble tournaments:
QI, QOPH, QANAT (a type of irrigation tunnel, 14 pts), QADI (a Muslim judge, 14 pts), QAID (a Muslim judge variant, 14 pts), QAIDS (plural, 15 pts), QANATS (plural, 15 pts), QAT (a plant chewed as a stimulant, 12 pts), QATS (plural, 13 pts), QADI (14 pts), QADIS (plural, 15 pts), QINTAR (an Albanian monetary unit, 15 pts), QINDAR (variant spelling, 15 pts), QINTARS (16 pts), QINDARS (16 pts), QWERTY (21 pts), QWERTYS (24 pts)
The SOWPODS dictionary adds several more: QAT, QOPH, TRANQ (a tranquilizer, 14 pts), TRANQS (15 pts), FIQH (Islamic jurisprudence), MBAQANGA (a type of music), QAWWALI (devotional music), and others. If you play internationally or on apps that use SOWPODS, learn these extras too.
Strategy for Playing Q Without U
The most important tactical tip: do not hold onto Q hoping for a U. If you draw Q without a U on your rack, play QI at your first reasonable opportunity. The longer you hold Q, the more it limits your flexibility for other plays.
QI is easiest to play off an existing I on the board. Look for any I and see if you can place Q next to it. Triple-letter on the Q turns 11 points into 31. Triple-word with QI can score 33. I have seen QI score over 40 points when placed on overlapping premium squares.
If there is no I on the board, consider playing QAT or QADI if you have the right supporting letters. These give you more flexibility because they do not need an I already placed.
The Endgame Q Trap
Getting stuck with Q at the end of the game is one of the worst things that can happen. You lose 10 points (Q’s tile value) plus whatever your opponent’s remaining tiles are worth gets added to their score. That is a potential 20+ point swing.
My rule: if I draw Q after the bag has fewer than 15 tiles left, I play it within 2 turns no matter what. Even if QI only scores 11 points in a mediocre position, that beats the -10 endgame penalty by 21 points.
Verify any of these words with our Dictionary Checker or find more plays with the Word Unscrambler.
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Sumit
Word Game Enthusiast & Content Lead
Sumit is the founder of WordUnscrambler.tips and an avid word game player with over a decade of experience in Scrabble tournaments and daily Wordle solving. He combines his passion for language with technical expertise to build tools that help players improve their game.