Z Words: 601 Options and a Two-Letter Cheat Code
Z gets a bad reputation as a difficult letter, but it's actually one of the friendliest high-value tiles if you know one word: ZA. This two-letter gem (informal for pizza) is valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends, and it turns the 10-point Z tile into a quick parallel play on almost any board. Beyond ZA, the Z-starting vocabulary runs 601 words deep, with the sweet spot between five and seven letters: ZEBRA, ZEPHYR, ZENITH, ZEALOT, ZIGZAG. Crossword constructors reach for Z-starters when they need to spice up a corner — ZEAL, ZONE, and ZERO are especially common because they cross cleanly with high-frequency letters.
Two things about Z that genuinely matter for word game players. First, Z is the rarest letter in standard English text (about 0.07% frequency), but it appears in a disproportionate number of short, punchy words — ZAP, ZAG, ZEN, ZIP, ZIT, ZOO. That cluster of three-letter options makes Z far easier to play than its rarity suggests. Second, unlike Q, the Z tile never depends on a specific partner letter. Z works with A, E, I, O, and U equally well, giving you flexibility that Q and X can't match. For Wordle, Z-starting answers do appear — ZESTY and ZOMBI have both shown up — but Z is more commonly found mid-word in answers like FROZE and PIZZA.
Scoring tip: before playing a longer Z word, always check whether ZA or ZO placed parallel to an existing word scores more. A two-letter parallel play with Z often beats a five-letter word played in isolation because you're scoring off both the new and existing words simultaneously. For the complete high-value letter toolkit, see words starting with Q and words starting with X. Check words ending in Z for plays like BIZ and FEZ, and words ending in ING for common crossword endings that pair well with Z-starters.
FAQ
Is ZA accepted in all word game dictionaries?
ZA is valid in both the TWL (North American Scrabble tournaments) and SOWPODS (international). It's also accepted in Words With Friends. At 11 base points for two tiles, ZA is one of the most efficient plays in any word game. See words starting with Q for QI, the other two-letter high-scorer worth memorizing.
What does ZED mean versus ZEE?
Both are names for the letter Z itself. ZEE is the American pronunciation; ZED is used in British, Canadian, Australian, and most other English-speaking countries. Both are valid in Scrabble. ZED comes from Greek zeta via French, while ZEE developed in American English to rhyme with other letter names like B, C, and D. Both are useful short plays alongside other Z words.
What obscure Z words should I learn for competitive play?
ZAX (a slate-cutting tool), ZEK (a Soviet labor camp prisoner), ZOEA (a crustacean larval stage), and ZAYIN (a Hebrew letter) are all valid and rarely challenged. For longer words, ZEUGMA (a rhetorical figure) and ZOEAE (plural of ZOEA) give you crossword and Scrabble options that most opponents won't know. Pair these with words starting with X for a complete rare-letter arsenal.
Two-Letter Words (1)
Three-Letter Words (16)
Four-Letter Words (35)
Five-Letter Words (56)
Six-Letter Words (87)
Seven-Letter Words (134)
and 34 more — use the solver above to search