CQ

\siːk.juː\

/\siːk.juː\/ intj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“CQ” is uncommon French (frequency #66,626 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,626
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Appel à toutes les stations, appel général. Indique que l'on cherche à contacter une personne au hasard et pas quelqu'un en particulier.

Key facts for CQ
PropertyValue
HeadwordCQ
LanguageFrench
Part of speechInterjection
IPA\siːk.juː\
Letters2
Frequency rank#66,626
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “CQ” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). CQ lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

CQ is uncommon French at frequency #66,626 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as aninterjection, transcribed \siːk.juː\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Appel à toutes les stations, appel général. Indique que l'on cherche à contacter une personne au hasard et pas quelqu'un en particulier.".

CQ has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is CQ, spelled C-Q.

Definition

  1. 1
    Appel à toutes les stations, appel général. Indique que l'on cherche à contacter une personne au hasard et pas quelqu'un en particulier.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "CQ"?
"CQ" is spelled C-Q. The IPA pronunciation is \siːk.juː\.
What does "CQ" mean?
As an interjection, "CQ" means: Appel à toutes les stations, appel général. Indique que l'on cherche à contacter une personne au hasard et pas quelqu'un en particulier.
How do you pronounce "CQ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "CQ" is \siːk.juː\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "CQ" come from?
"CQ" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “CQ”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is C-Q - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \siːk.juː\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list