Spelling list: Words ending in que

The letters que make the /k/ sound at the end of many English words, especially ones borrowed from French. You can see this in words like unique, antique, and boutique. It might look like a long ending, but it sounds just like /k/.

Even the word cheque, which is spelled differently in British English than in the US (check), follows the same pattern. Other examples include plaque and picturesque, where the /k/ sound is softer.

So, when you hear the /k/ sound at the end of a word that seems to have a French origin, it’s likely to end with que!

antique	That mahogany cupboard is an antique.
unique	The tower was a unique construction.
boutique	I bought this dress at the new boutique.
picturesque	The old cottage looked very picturesque.
grotesque	He was wearing a grotesque mask.
mosque	The mosque has a dome on the roof.
plaque	A wall plaque shows where the famous explorer lived.
cheque	I'll pay for the goods by cheque.