Q (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''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'''. There is also the keyboard-describing word '''qwërty'''. | '''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'''. There is also the keyboard-describing word '''qwërty'''. | ||
'''q''' is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English | '''q''' is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English: most commonly, that of the letter qaf 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''', as in '''Qíng Dýnasty''' (BrE; '''Dŷnasty''', AmE). | In the [[pinyin]] system of transliterating Chinese, '''q''' is pronounced like '''ch''' in '''chürch''', as in '''Qíng Dýnasty''' (BrE; '''Dŷnasty''', AmE). | ||
Revision as of 16:25, 27 November 2009
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. There is also the keyboard-describing word qwërty.
q is also used in transliterations from other languages to represent sounds not used in English: most commonly, that of the letter qaf 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, as in Qíng Dýnasty (BrE; Dŷnasty, AmE).
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; cf. -gue: lêague, plâgue, also with silent -ue.
Other redundant us after q: líquor (*líkkər), píquèt (*pêekây), crôcquèt (*crôakây), Jácqueline (girl's name = Jácklin surname).
q does not begin clusters. It is one of the three letters, the others being j and v, that are never silent.
qq appears only in some Arabic names; its normal ‘double’ is cq as in acquîre and acquiésce.