Is -que the same as -ck?
Does it mean something different?
For example, is cheque the same as check?
Learn English – Is “-que” the same as “-ck”
spellingsuffixes
spellingsuffixes
Is -que the same as -ck?
Does it mean something different?
For example, is cheque the same as check?
Best Answer
No, -que and -ck are not interchangeable in general.
The final -que pronounced [k] in English is only found in words of non-Germanic origin, usually French. In French, this is a very common word ending. In English, -que- is naturally pronounced [kwi] (the vowel may vary depending on what follows the
e), but when -que is at the end of a word, it is pronounced in a French-like way.In the word cheque/check meaning a method of payment, both spellings are possible. The meaning is the same. As usual, the French spelling is the standard one in British English while the more phonetic spelling is the standard one in American English. When check means verify or verification, it is always spelled check.
Most other words that end in -que cannot be spelled another way. In fact, while there are several other -que/-ck pairs, I can't think of another one where the two can have the same meaning: others are just different words that happen to have somewhat similar spellings and pronunciation. (Not identical pronunciation: as a rule, the vowel before -que is long and stressed, whereas the vowel before -ck is short.)