qu sound
Core Rule
The qu sound typically represents /kw/. In English, q is almost always followed by u, where u supports the glide /w/ rather than acting as a vowel.
Articulation Guide
Start with a velar /k/ (tongue back, firm contact), then glide smoothly into a rounded-lip /w/ with continuous airflow.
Word Analysis
- conquest: a textbook /kw/ cluster.
- cuisine: a French borrowing; qu = /k/, silent u.
- choir: no qu in spelling, yet often pronounced /ˈkwaɪər/, showing sound–spelling mismatch.
Pitfalls
Do not assume qu always equals /kw/; loanwords and historical forms vary.
Phonics Breakdown
Back tongue /k/ → immediate rounded-lip /w/ in one airflow.
Sound Reference
- Train /k/ first, then add the /w/ glide
- Check loanwords in dictionaries
Common Mistakes
Reading cuisine as /kwɪˈziːn/
Assuming /kw/ only appears as qu
Example Words
All Words (45)
choir conquest cuisine disqualify earthquake equality equation equipment equivalence exquisite inadequate inquire inquiry inquisitive language linguistics mosquito opaque quake qualified qualitative quality quantification quantify quantitative quantity quarrel quarter quench quest question queue quick quickly quilt quite quiver quiz quota quotation quote request require sequence square