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8 Letter Words Starting with Z

There are 91 8-letter English words that start with Z, ranging alphabetically from ZABAIONE to ZYZZYVAS. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: ZYZZYVAS (44), ZIZZLING (36), ZWIEBACK (28). The longest entry here is ZABAIONE at 8 letters.

Word list

Z

Point values shown are Scrabble® (letters only, before board bonuses). Browse deeper via the word-lists hub.

Top 10 highest-scoring words

Scored on letters only (no board bonuses). WWF uses different tile values from Scrabble — J, Q and Z are worth 10 points in WWF; X is worth 8.

#WordScrabbleWWF
1zyzzyvas4443
2zizzling3639
3zwieback2830
4zabajone2630
5zarzuela2628
6zymology2627
7zymogram2527
8zaddikim2526
9zikkurat2526
10zoophily2525

Strategy for this list

Z is worth 10 in Scrabble and starts ~600 words — the smallest slice of any letter. Z's value is entirely in premium placements — Z on a triple-letter square scores 30 for the Z alone. Z-openers with premium potential include ZAX, ZEE, ZEP, ZLOTY. In Wordle, Z in position 1 is one of the rarest openers — a strong isolation test if you suspect it from earlier feedback.

FAQs

How many 8-letter words start with Z?

91 valid 8-letter English words begin with Z in the ENABLE English word list.

Are these valid in Wordle and Scrabble?

Words on this page come from the ENABLE English word list. UK Scrabble (Collins Scrabble Words) accepts the overwhelming majority; a handful may not be legal in the North American NASPA Word List (NWL2023).

Refine by length — words starting with Z