What does quay mean?
Word: Quay
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Quay means a platform of stone or wood where boats stop to load and unload.
Sounds like: key (a small piece of metal that opens a lock)
How do you spell quay?
Syllables: quay
Tricky part: It sounds just like key, so children often write key itself, or kee. The spelling does not match the sound at all.
Watch out for: kee, keay
Memory tip: Quay and key sound the same. To tell them apart, remember that the boat word is the one that starts with the rare letter q.
Quay in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa waved to us from the quay as our boat pulled away.
Example 2: Crates of mangoes were stacked high on the quay.
Example 3: We sat on the edge of the quay and watched the waves.
Fun Fact
In the Middle Ages this word was spelt key, just as it sounds. Late in the 1600s the spelling changed to look like the French word quai.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
q_a_
a) u, y
b) e, y
c) u, e
d) w, i
Show answer
a) u, y. Qu starts the word, as it nearly always does in English, and a y closes it.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) harbour
b) quey
c) lighthouse
d) anchor
Show answer
b) quey. The vowel after qu is an a, not an e.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: quay
a) wharf
b) meadow
c) tunnel
d) valley
Show answer
a) wharf. A wharf is also a place beside the water where boats tie up.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The fishermin unloaded their nets on the quay at dawn.
a) unloaded
b) fishermin
c) nets
d) quay
Show answer
b) fishermin. Fishermen ends in men, just like the word men.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which sentence is quay used in the right way?
a) She hung the quay on a hook.
b) He lost the quay to his bike.
c) The ferry tied up at the quay.
d) I locked the door with the quay.
Show answer
c) The ferry tied up at the quay.
2. Where is a quay found?
a) beside a harbour or river
b) in the middle of a forest
c) inside a school hall
d) at the top of a hill
Show answer
a) beside a harbour or river
