God knows that can be a challenging rack. Maybe knowing the definitions of these babies can help you remember these dozen lifesavers.
Also, do you speak Arabic? That might help a little too. Indeed, of the 12 words here, 7 come from that language.
Note that I stopped at words of 5 letters. There are some with 6 and 7, but I just figured that the chances of playing those are pretty slim.
Qi (qis)
The life force, in Chinese philosophy (and medicine). Pretty much every SCRABBLE player's favorite play, as it's a 2-letter word as well. Indeed, if you use it for a hook on a triple-letter space, it's 60 points right there. Also spelled “chi.” Pronounced “chee.”
Qat (qats)
Catha edulis, a plant native to the region around the Horn of Africa. Khat is chewed by the natives there for its stimulating effect. Also spelled “khat.” Pronounced “cot.”
I don’t know – he looks pretty happy to me
Qaid (qaids)
A kind of Muslim leader. It’s also spelled “kaid” and “caid,” though only the latter is legit in SCRABBLE. An alternative plural is “qaad,” though that’s not kosher either. “Qaid,” with the definite article “al,” just so happens to be the source of the Spanish word for mayor, “alcalde.” Pronounced “kaid,” with a hard i.
It’s also the name of (pretty dramatic, I would assume) telenovela in Pakistan
Qadi (qadis)
A Muslim judge, in Shari’a court. Once again, there are numerous other forms – “cadi,” “kadi,” “qazi,” “cazi,” and “kazi” (with only the first 2 being legitimate for our purposes). Pronounced “kah-dee.”
Mohammed Al Qadi is an Egyptian body builder
(and not a judge - at least as far as I know)
Qoph (qophs)
A Hebrew letter. There’s no real no real English equivalent, but it’s usually rendered as a “k.” Also spelled “koph.” Pronounced “cough.”
Cinq (cinqs)
The number five. I honestly have no idea why this is legit. I mean, une, deux, trois, and quatre aren’t in there. So, why “cinq”? If it’s like the French word, it should be pronounced “sahnk.”
Faqir (faqirs)
A Muslim (and Hindu) ascetic, living primarily on alms. They’re the ones who like to sleep on beds of nails, walk across hot coals, engage in elaborate body piercings, and performs other forms of extreme body mortification. Also spelled “fakir.” Pronounced “fah-keer.”
Niqab (niqabs)
A veil worn by some Muslim women. It covers everything but the eyes. You can contrast it with the hijab, chador, and burka. Pronounced “nee-kahb.”
Tranq (tranqs)
To tranquilize, usually an animal. It’s also a noun, typically street slang for a tranquilizer pill. Also spelled “trank.” Pronouned “traynk.”
A tranq gun
Qanat (qanats)
An underground tunnel built to lead water from deep underground a hill to a village below. It means “channel.” The alternative spellings for this one are legion: khanat, kunut, kona, konait, ghanat, ghundat, kariz, karez, kahan, kahn, kahriz, khettara, falaj, foggara, fughara, kakuriz, chin-avulz, amayun. None of these are proper for SCRABBLE though (except for “kona,” which is of course a coffee). Pronounced “kah-naht.”
Qibla (qiblahs)
The direction that a Muslim faces when praying. In particular, it’s the direction of the Kaaba in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca. Most mosques contain a wall niche to help you orient yourself. Also spelled “kiblah,” Pronounced “kib-luh.”
Oh, this modern world
Qapik (qapiks)
A monetary unit of Azerbaijan, worth 1/100 of an amant (so, basically, a cent). It comes from the Russian “kopek,” 1/100th of a ruble. Also spelled “gopik.” Pronounced “kah-peek.”
Twenty of 'em
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