QO Words: The Smallest Q Club in English
Only two words in the English language start with QO: QOPH and QOPHS. QOPH (also spelled KOPH) is the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, representing a sound that doesn't exist in English — a deep guttural K produced at the back of the throat. It entered the Scrabble dictionary through its use in English texts about Semitic languages, and it's been saving players from unplayable Q tiles ever since.
The real value of QOPH is strategic. It's one of the few Q-without-U words available, which makes it a must-memorize for competitive Scrabble. At 18 base points (Q=10, O=1, P=3, H=4), it's a solid mid-game play. Crossword constructors rarely use QOPH because most solvers don't know it, but it does show up in themed puzzles about alphabets or linguistics. If you're building your Q-without-U arsenal, pair QOPH with the words at QI words and all Q words. Players who enjoy memorizing rare letter combos should also explore words starting with ZU for another set of unusual openers.
FAQ
How many points is QOPH worth in Scrabble?
QOPH scores 18 points before any board multipliers. That's Q (10) + O (1) + P (3) + H (4). Place it to hit a double or triple letter score on the Q, and you're looking at 28-38 points from four tiles. For more high-scoring Q plays, check words starting with QI.
What does QOPH mean?
QOPH is the name of the 19th letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It represents a uvular stop consonant — a sound made deep in the throat. English borrowed the letter name purely as a linguistic term. For other borrowed-word patterns, see words ending in QUE, which pull from French and Spanish.