Why does queue have four silent letters?

The word queue contains five letters but is pronounced exactly like the single letter Q: /kjuː/. The remaining four letters appear to be waiting quietly behind it, which is pleasingly appropriate for a queue.

Where did the spelling come from?

English borrowed queue from French. Its older meaning was a tail, derived from the Latin cauda. A line of people resembles a tail stretching away from its starting point, which explains how the modern meaning developed.

How to use queue

As a noun, it means a line of people or things: “We waited in a queue.” In British English it is also commonly a verb: “People were queueing outside.” American English more often uses line and lining up.

Nederlandse uitleg

In het Nederlands: queue betekent rij en klinkt als de Engelse letter Q. De laatste vier letters spreek je niet uit.

Try it yourself

Try reading these aloud: a long queue, queue for tickets, and the email queue. In every case, the pronunciation remains /kjuː/.

Source: Cambridge Dictionary. Featured photograph by Brett Jordan on Unsplash.