Lexical items containing both “z” and “q” are relatively uncommon in the English language. Examples include “quiz,” its variations like “quizzes,” “quizzed,” and “quizzing,” and the less frequent “squeezing” (when referring to the act of applying pressure). While “izzard” (an archaic term for the letter Z) might be considered, its usage is extremely limited in modern English.
The scarcity of such lexemes contributes to their distinctiveness. This unusual combination of letters can create memorable and impactful terms, particularly useful in fields like branding and marketing where catching attention is crucial. Historically, the letter “z” was less commonly used than it is today, potentially influencing the limited number of extant terms containing both “z” and “q.” Furthermore, the phonetic properties of “z” and “q” and their infrequent adjacency in English orthography further explain their paired rarity.
