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⟨qu⟩

From Teflpedia
Qu

Qu is an English consonant digraph formed of the letters Q and U.

Q is usually followed by U.

Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

The produces the consonant cluster /kw/ e.g. quiz, but can be just /k/ in coda, e.g. "oblique.”

Spelling[edit | edit source]

Onset[edit | edit source]

qu, e.g. quiz

  • barbeque is pronounced bar-be-cue
  • communiqué is pronounced /kəˈmju:.nə.keɪ/; also risqué.

Only K phoneme /k/: quay, quiche

Coda[edit | edit source]

Words cannot end in qu, so they must have an E on the end. The E may however be a silent E or a magic E. Spelling patterns are broadly similar to Gu.

  • Words ending -aque: macaque, plaque (silent E) opaque (magic E)
  • Words ending -eque: cheque, cinematheque, discotheque (all silent E)
  • Words ending -ique: boutique, oblique, pique, technique, unique,[1] (all magic E, but the I mutates to a long E sound, as in French and not an I-diphthong).
  • words ending -oque: roque, toque, (magic E), baroque (silent E).

After an R-coloured vowel: torque, cirque, marque, barque.

Pedagogy[edit | edit source]

Here’s an episode of Alphablocks[2]

References[edit | edit source]