9 Letter Words Starting with Z
There are 65 9-letter English words that start with Z, ranging alphabetically from ZABAIONES to ZYMURGIES. Top Scrabble® scorers on this list: ZIGZAGGED (31), ZWIEBACKS (29), ZABAJONES (27). Roughly 5% of these words end in E, so an E-hook on the board is worth watching for.
Word list
Z
- ZABAIONES20 pts
- ZABAJONES27 pts
- ZAMINDARI21 pts
- ZAMINDARS21 pts
- ZAPATEADO21 pts
- ZARATITES18 pts
- ZARZUELAS27 pts
- ZEALOUSLY21 pts
- ZEBRASSES20 pts
- ZEBRAWOOD24 pts
- ZECCHINOS25 pts
- ZEDOARIES19 pts
- ZEITGEBER21 pts
- ZEITGEIST19 pts
- ZEMINDARS21 pts
- ZEMINDARY24 pts
- ZEPPELINS22 pts
- ZESTFULLY24 pts
- ZIBELINES20 pts
- ZIBELLINE20 pts
- ZIGGURATS20 pts
- ZIGZAGGED31 pts
- ZIKKURATS26 pts
- ZILLIONTH21 pts
- ZINCIFIED24 pts
- ZINCIFIES23 pts
- ZINFANDEL22 pts
- ZINKIFIED26 pts
- ZINKIFIES25 pts
- ZIPPERING23 pts
- ZIRCONIAS20 pts
- ZIRCONIUM22 pts
- ZITHERIST21 pts
- ZOMBIFIED26 pts
- ZOMBIFIES25 pts
- ZOMBIISMS24 pts
- ZONATIONS18 pts
- ZONETIMES20 pts
- ZOOCHORES23 pts
- ZOOGLOEAE19 pts
- ZOOGLOEAS19 pts
- ZOOKEEPER24 pts
- ZOOLATERS18 pts
- ZOOLOGIES19 pts
- ZOOLOGIST19 pts
- ZOOMANIAS20 pts
- ZOOMORPHS25 pts
- ZOOPHILES23 pts
- ZOOPHILIC25 pts
- ZOOPHOBES25 pts
- ZOOPHYTES26 pts
- ZOOSPERMS22 pts
- ZOOSPORES20 pts
- ZOOSPORIC22 pts
- ZOOSTEROL18 pts
- ZOOTOMIES20 pts
- ZUCCHETTO25 pts
- ZUCCHINIS25 pts
- ZWIEBACKS29 pts
- ZYGOMATIC26 pts
- ZYGOSPORE24 pts
- ZYGOTENES22 pts
- ZYMOGENES24 pts
- ZYMOGRAMS26 pts
- ZYMURGIES24 pts
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.
| # | Word | Scrabble | WWF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | zigzagged | 31 | 34 |
| 2 | zwiebacks | 29 | 31 |
| 3 | zabajones | 27 | 31 |
| 4 | zarzuelas | 27 | 29 |
| 5 | zombified | 26 | 28 |
| 6 | zygomatic | 26 | 28 |
| 7 | zymograms | 26 | 28 |
| 8 | zikkurats | 26 | 27 |
| 9 | zinkified | 26 | 27 |
| 10 | zoophytes | 26 | 25 |
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 9-letter words start with Z?
65 valid 9-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).