Spelling list: qu and squ words

The /kw/ sound in English is almost always spelled qu. You'll notice this in words like quick and quiet. It's a simple pattern: q is almost always followed by u.

This also applies to words starting with squ, where the s sound is added before the qu, as in squid or square.

You can use this rule for longer words that feature the /kw/ sound, like question and conquest.

quick	Do you have time for a quick chat?
quite	It's quite a long way to walk.
quiet	It was very quiet in the church.
quilt	It was cold so he slept under a quilt.
query	I sent my query by email.
question	He was reluctant to answer my question.
squid	A squid has eight arms.
square	There is a fountain in the market square.
liquid	The medicine comes in liquid or tablet form.
request	I hope you won't refuse my request.
conquest	We are studying the conquest of the Aztecs by the Spanish.
require	The seller will require your payment by Friday.
equal	The teacher asked her students to draw a triangle with three equal sides.
equator	Latitude is how far North or South a place is from the Equator. *
equipment	A machine operator installed the equipment. *
inquiry	There will be an inquiry into the plane crash.
aquarium	There were many exotic fish in the aquarium.
earthquake	The earthquake made the ground shake.
inquisitive	An inquisitive child asks many questions.