4 Letter Words Containing Q
There are 16 4-letter English words that contain Q, from AQUA to SUQS. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: QUIZ (22), QOPH (18), QUAY (16). This is a small pattern — under 20 words in ENABLE — so we exclude it from our sitemap but keep the page for players who reach it directly. Average word length in this list is 4 letters.
Word list
A
Q
S
Point values shown are Scrabble® (letters only, before board bonuses). Browse deeper via the word-lists hub.
Top 10 highest-scoring words
Scored on letters only (no board bonuses). WWF uses different tile values from Scrabble — J, Q and Z are worth 10 points in WWF; X is worth 8.
| # | Word | Scrabble | WWF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | quiz | 22 | 23 |
| 2 | qoph | 18 | 18 |
| 3 | quay | 16 | 16 |
| 4 | quey | 16 | 16 |
| 5 | quip | 15 | 17 |
| 6 | quag | 14 | 16 |
| 7 | quad | 14 | 15 |
| 8 | quid | 14 | 15 |
| 9 | quod | 14 | 15 |
| 10 | qaid | 14 | 14 |
Strategy for this list
The Q is the highest-scoring tile in Scrabble at 10 points and the hardest to place because 90% of English words containing Q also contain U immediately after it. The most useful Q-words are the Q-without-U set (QI, QAT, QOPH, QINTAR, TRANQ) — learn these first because they let you dump the Q without waiting for a U to arrive. When you have Q + U + one vowel, prioritise QUIRK, QUART, QUEST and QUOTA over rarer alternatives — these hook to common plays. On premium squares, a Q on a triple-letter square (Q×3 = 30) doubled through a double-word square scores 61 for a two-letter play alone.
FAQs
How many 4-letter words contain Q?
16 valid 4-letter English words contain the letters Q in the ENABLE English word list.
Are these valid in Wordle and Scrabble?
Words on this page come from the ENABLE English word list. UK Scrabble (Collins Scrabble Words) accepts the overwhelming majority; a handful may not be legal in the North American NASPA Word List (NWL2023).