A major announcement from Cambridge Dictionary had netizens in a frenzy, sparking debates, witty remarks, and outright disbelief. On Tuesday (1 April), the official Cambridge Dictionary Facebook page dropped a bombshell:
“Today, we’re here to share an important decision. Our community members have always struggled with English spelling, particularly words spelled with the letter q. So we will be removing the letter q from the Cambridge Dictionary.”
But that wasn’t all—the post even suggested replacements for words that typically include ‘Q’.
A shocking revelation
As it turns out, Tuesday was 1 April—April fool’s day. Cambridge Dictionary had simply joined in on the April Fool’s Day fun, tricking its followers with this eyebrow-raising ‘decision.’
The so-called ‘major update’ sent social media into a spin, with users flooding the comments section with reactions ranging from sheer panic to outright amusement. However, it didn’t take long for the truth to surface—the entire thing was a well-crafted joke to fool the community. No, ‘Q’ isn’t going anywhere.
The ‘official’ explanation
The first comment from the page got everyone laughing:
They really got us in the first half, no?
The backlash
Of course, not everyone found the prank amusing. Some users criticised it as pointless, with a few even threatening to unfollow the page. Others, however, played along, leaving comments with exaggerated spellings like “Kwite the joke, Cambridge!” or “Who needs Q? Kueen should be spelled Kween now!”
Whether loved or loathed, the prank certainly got people talking—proving that even the most prestigious dictionary isn’t above a little April Fool joke..