Q (letter): Difference between revisions
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==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | {{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | ||
'''q''' has the same sound as '''k''' in '''kít''' and '''c''' in '''cát'''. It is almost always followed by a '''u''', which is normally pronounced 'w'. So '''qu''' = '''kw''' ('''kw''' itself is rare and accidental: '''åwkward'''). Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]] for the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] and [[English spellings]] for a table): '''quêen, quîet, quîte, quínce, quít, quíck, quêer, quâil, quáck, qùad, quŏrum, êqual, équity, aquátic, përquisíte, réquisíte, líquid'''. The keyboard-describing word '''qwërty''' sounds like *quërty. | '''q''' has the same sound as '''k''' in '''kít''' and '''c''' in '''cát'''. It is almost always followed by a '''u''', which is normally pronounced '''w'''. So '''qu''' = '''kw''' ('''kw''' itself is rare and accidental: '''åwkward'''). Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]] for the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] and [[English spellings]] for a table): '''quêen, quîet, quîte, quínce, quít, quíck, quêer, quâil, quáck, qùad, quŏrum, êqual, équity, aquátic, përquisíte, réquisíte, líquid'''. The keyboard-describing word '''qwërty''' sounds like *quërty. | ||
'''q''' is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English: most commonly, that of the letter '''qáf''' in Arabic, as well as similar sounds in other Semitic languages and various Iranian languages including Persian. Thus '''q''' alone is used at the end of certain words from Arabic: '''Sádiq, Táriq, Iràq''', and only in similar examples can it be doubled or otherwise appear minus the '''u''': '''Sadíqqi, Qátar, Irāqi, níqab, qát''' ''stimulant'' (= '''cát''' ''animal''). | '''q''' is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English: most commonly, that of the letter '''qáf''' in Arabic, as well as similar sounds in other Semitic languages and various Iranian languages including Persian. Thus '''q''' alone is used at the end of certain words from Arabic: '''Sádiq, Táriq, Iràq''', and only in similar examples can it be doubled or otherwise appear minus the '''u''': '''Sadíqqi, Qátar, Irāqi, níqab, qát''' ''stimulant'' (= '''cát''' ''animal''). | ||
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Other vowels are not affected: '''quést, quêasy, quôte, inquîry''' or '''enquîry''' and neither is the '''a''' in '''quàrk, quáck'''. | Other vowels are not affected: '''quést, quêasy, quôte, inquîry''' or '''enquîry''' and neither is the '''a''' in '''quàrk, quáck'''. | ||
The first '''u''' in '''queûe''' is redundant, so that the usual 'w' sound gives way to the 'y' semi-consonant that begins '''eû''', so '''queûe''' ''line'' = '''Keŵ''' ''Gardens'' = '''cûe''' ''prompt, billiards'' = the name of the letter '''Q'''. | The first '''u''' in '''queûe''' is redundant, so that the usual '''w''' sound gives way to the '''y''' semi-consonant that begins '''eû''', so '''queûe''' ''line'' = '''Keŵ''' ''Gardens'' = '''cûe''' ''prompt, billiards'' = the name of the letter '''Q'''. | ||
The ending -'''que''' sounds like -k: BrE '''chéque''' ''money'' (= '''chéck''' ''verify, [[American English|AmE]] money'' = '''Czéch''' ''nationality''), '''unìque, bezìque, oblìque, clìque, opâque, mósque, Bāsque, Cínque Pŏrts'''; cf. -'''gue''': '''lêague, plâgue''', also with silent -'''ue'''. | The ending -'''que''' sounds like -k: BrE '''chéque''' ''money'' (= '''chéck''' ''verify, [[American English|AmE]] money'' = '''Czéch''' ''nationality''), '''unìque, bezìque, oblìque, clìque, opâque, mósque, Bāsque, Cínque Pŏrts'''; cf. -'''gue''': '''lêague, plâgue''', also with silent -'''ue'''. | ||
Revision as of 13:00, 28 April 2013
Q, q is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the seventeenth letter of most variants, being placed after P and before R, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is pronounced [ˈkjuː], like the words cue and queue.
Use in English
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use in English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common misspellings |
q has the same sound as k in kít and c in cát. It is almost always followed by a u, which is normally pronounced w. So qu = kw (kw itself is rare and accidental: åwkward). Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes for the IPA and English spellings for a table): quêen, quîet, quîte, quínce, quít, quíck, quêer, quâil, quáck, qùad, quŏrum, êqual, équity, aquátic, përquisíte, réquisíte, líquid. The keyboard-describing word qwërty sounds like *quërty.
q is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English: most commonly, that of the letter qáf in Arabic, as well as similar sounds in other Semitic languages and various Iranian languages including Persian. Thus q alone is used at the end of certain words from Arabic: Sádiq, Táriq, Iràq, and only in similar examples can it be doubled or otherwise appear minus the u: Sadíqqi, Qátar, Irāqi, níqab, qát stimulant (= cát animal).
In the pinyin system of transliterating Chinese, q is pronounced like ch in chürch, so Qíng Dynasty = Chíng I Ching.
In British English, qu can have an odd effect on a, like that of w in ẁas, making a sound like ó (shown here as qùa-): qùantity, qùarrel, qùality, eqùality (in American English, these are just quà-.). And, also as after w, it can go even further, as in quårtz (cf. wåltz).
Other vowels are not affected: quést, quêasy, quôte, inquîry or enquîry and neither is the a in quàrk, quáck.
The first u in queûe is redundant, so that the usual w sound gives way to the y semi-consonant that begins eû, so queûe line = Keŵ Gardens = cûe prompt, billiards = the name of the letter Q.
The ending -que sounds like -k: BrE chéque money (= chéck verify, AmE money = Czéch nationality), unìque, bezìque, oblìque, clìque, opâque, mósque, Bāsque, Cínque Pŏrts; cf. -gue: lêague, plâgue, also with silent -ue.
Other redundant us after q: líquor (*líkkər), pìquèt/píquet cards (*pêekây or = pícket fence, strike), crôquèt (*crôakây), Jácqueline (girl's name = Jácklin surname).
In old Scottish spelling, quh represented the sound now spelt wh. This old spelling is retained in some proper names, with varying pronunciations: Fàrquhar *Fàrkwar, Colquhoûn *Cohoôn (perhaps the only instance of silent q).
q does not begin clusters.
qq appears only in some Arabic names; its normal ‘double’ is cq as in acquîre and acquiésce.
Uses as separate symbol
- Q: source believed to have been used by the authors of the gospels traditionally ascribed to Matthew and Luke
- Q: pen-name of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch