7-letter words with A as the 2nd letter and Q as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is _A_Q___: A sits in slot two, Q in slot four, with three letters after it. Familiar hits include BANQUET, MARQUEE, LACQUER, and PARQUET, but the group also contains less familiar forms such as CALQUED and HAIQUES. Collins accepts 24 matches; NWL2023 and ENABLE each accept 20.

At a glance: the A–Q pattern

• Collins lists 24 matches for this seven-letter pattern.
• BANQUET, MARQUEE, and LACQUER are recognizable examples.
• Thirteen entries end in S; C and M lead first-letter counts with five each.
• Only three matches count as common by English word frequency.
• LACQUEY leads the scoring list at 21 points.

7-letter words with A second and Q fourth

The fixed slots leave four open positions, but Q fourth sharply narrows the field. Familiar words cluster around the QU sequence, as in BANQUET, MARQUIS, and PARQUET. C and M are the most frequent first letters, with five matches apiece; B follows with four.

Use the opening letter as a quick filter when you already know the pattern.

The ending gives another cut: 13 of the 24 entries finish in S, while D and T each occur three times. MARQUES and BASQUES show the S ending; CALQUED and BASQUED show the D ending. Collins has 24 matches, compared with 20 in both NWL2023 and ENABLE, so check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar form.

Which A-Q words score highest in Scrabble?

LACQUEY tops the scoring list at 21 points. YANQUIS, HAIQUES, CALQUED, CASQUED, and BASQUED score 19 apiece. BANQUET, MARQUIS, MARQUEE, and LACQUER each score 18, so recognizable vocabulary still carries a strong score.

Those are scores before board premiums. The Q-containing spellings make a premium square worth checking before you commit a high-value tile. LACQUER is easier to recognize, but LACQUEY beats it by three points on tile value.

The examples also show a practical pattern to test: Q is followed by U, with endings such as -S, -D, -T, or -ET. BANQUET supplies -ET, while the larger S-ending group includes MARQUIS and BASQUES. Start with the fixed letters, then check which ending your rack can support.