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	Writing portal This article falls within the scope of WikiProject Writing systems, a WikiProject interested in improving the encyclopaedic coverage and content of articles relating to writing systems on Wikipedia. If you would like to help out, you are welcome to drop by the project page and/or leave a query at the project’s talk page.Writing systemsWikipedia:WikiProject Writing systemsTemplate:WikiProject Writing systemsWriting system
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Concerning the pronunciation of q and the spelling of the word queue

I find it very disturbing that many English speakers believe the 'regular' pronunciation of the letter q is [kw]. Could anyone enlighten me as to how anyone can make stupid assumptions like that.

Also, I find the fact that, the word queue [kju:] is spelt so, very odd. How could it have ever come about? I know that the vowel shifts (particularly the GVS) wrecked the English language but I didn't realise that they did that much damage.

The reason that it is considered the "regular" pronounciation is because that is how it is pronounced in English - in the same way that a speaker of Maltese would consider the "regular" pronounciation of the letter "q" to be [ʔ] (a glottal stop). I don't think it's stupid, just naive. Mo-Al 01:22, 1 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, [kw] is the regular pronunciation of the digraph qu, not of the letter q, even in English. In no language that I have heard of is q by itself pronounced [kw]. --platypeanArchcow 01:49, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with this. Q on its own is [k] 76.157.162.44 (talk) 02:04, 15 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

"queue" is a French loan word, meaning "tail".

and the French spelling is parsed like so: qu-eu-e = /k/-/ø/-(silent). In English, the /ø/ became assimilated as /ju/. --platypeanArchcow 01:46, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's not "stupid". It's just the fact that kids are taught that Q occurs only before U and is pronounced /kw/. This is true for all Anglo-Saxon words, which are the most-used words in the language. The exceptions come from French, Spanish, or languages with non-Latin alphabets (Arabic, Chinese). People are so used to saying /kw/ that they unconsciously say it before unfamiliar words containing Q + vowel, or /kwə/ before Q + consonant. Sluggoster (talk) 21:03, 26 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You won't find Q not followed by U in Spanish. --LjL (talk) 20:20, 26 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not prononuced /kw/ though. Sluggoster (talk) 21:03, 26 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It would be nice if one of you oh so knowledgeable pedantic elitists would actually explain the right answer, instead of just claiming that others are wrong for the answers they give. I've never seen a q not followed by a u in my langauge, I don't know what it would sound like. I'm not unintelligent, noncreative, or imperceptive, it's just literally never been relevant to my life until this moment. I would argue that learning and professing useless information as proper is more naive than taking a practical approach to life. Are you naive for not understanding the nuances of computer architecture that you've never directly interfaced with? No, even though you rely on it way more than I rely on this particular understanding of English. So how about you guys stop being jerks and start actually trying to spread information, if you're so concerned with the truth? What does 'q' sound like then?

Needs a cursive "Q"

The article needs a cursive "Q" - not the Americanized "q", but the calligraphic "Q". Quick hint: I am referring to the variant of capital "Q" that looks like a digit "2". 81.89.66.133 (talk) 06:42, 1 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Clarification

"⟨q⟩ has a wide variety of other pronunciations in some European languages and in non-European languages that have adopted the Latin alphabet." Which pronounciations are you talking about? As far as I know, I'm an English speaker and I know a little Spanish and Q sounds the same in both languages. Q sounds the same in Spanish, French, then Italian, etc. Then there are languages that don't use the same script as English does? Without evidence, I don't know weather that claim is correct or not. 76.157.162.44 (talk) 02:12, 15 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Add a pronunciation

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I want to add Kalaallisut/Greenlandic language pronunciation of q which is [q]. Bljaasengard (talk) 12:52, 28 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. The AP (talk) 13:14, 28 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's pretty clear what change they want to be made. But they need a source. Remsense ‥ 论 13:16, 28 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Phi as a sister glyph

The theory that the Greek letter Phi descended from the Archaic Greek letter Qoppa is unproven and very controversial. I would recommend that sister letters descending from Phi be removed. WegoBOOM Bois (talk) 16:32, 12 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]