Mastering the letter Z is the quickest way to go from a casual player to a word game pro. In most games, Z is the highest-value tile you can hold, so knowing how to start a word with it can give you a massive lead in Words With Friends or Wordle when you’ve already eliminated the more common consonants. In this guide, we’ve put together a simple list of 5 letter words starting with Z. To help you win your next match, we’ve included the Words With Friends point values as a small subscript next to each word.
Highest Scoring 5 Letter Word Starting With Z
If you want to absolutely crush the competition, you need to use the “power play” words. Here are the three best 5-letter words starting with Z for maximum points:
- ZHUZH₂₈ – This is the undisputed champion of ‘Z’ words. By using the Z (10 points) and two H tiles (3 points each), it hits a massive 28 points. It’s the perfect word for when you need to “zhuzh” up your score!
- ZANZA₂₄ – A brilliant 24-point play if you have a double Z . It’s a specialized term for an African musical instrument, and it’s a total game-changer.
- ZAZEN₂₄ – Another double-Z powerhouse. It refers to a type of meditation, but playing it will likely make your opponent feel anything but calm!
5 Letter Words List starting with Z
| ZHUZH₂₈ | ZANZA₂₄ | ZAZEN₂₄ | ZIZIT₂₃ | ZAPPY₂₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIPPY₂₂ | ZAXES₂₁ | ZINKY₂₁ | ZUPPA₂₁ | ZEBEC₂₀ |
| ZIFFS₂₀ | ZILCH₂₀ | ZINCY₂₀ | ZIPPO₂₀ | ZOMBI₂₀ |
| ZHUSH₁₉ | ZINGY₁₉ | ZONKS₁₉ | ZYMES₁₉ | ZYNGA₁₉ |
| ZAKAT₁₈ | ZEBUS₁₈ | ZIKRS₁₈ | ZINCO₁₈ | ZINCS₁₈ |
| ZINEB₁₈ | ZOKOR₁₈ | ZOOKS₁₈ | ZAMIA₁₇ | ZAMIS₁₇ |
| ZARFS₁₇ | ZAYDE₁₇ | ZAYIN₁₇ | ZEBRA₁₇ | ZIBET₁₇ |
| ZINGS₁₇ | ZIRAM₁₇ | ZLOTY₁₇ | ZOOMS₁₇ | ZOWIE₁₇ |
| ZUSHI₁₇ | ZESTY₁₆ | ZILLA₁₆ | ZILLS₁₆ | ZITTY₁₆ |
| ZOLLE₁₆ | ZONAL₁₆ | ZONED₁₆ | ZOOTY₁₆ | ZAIDE₁₅ |
| ZARDA₁₅ | ZEALS₁₅ | ZEINS₁₅ | ZINES₁₅ | ZLOTE₁₅ |
| ZOEAL₁₅ | ZONAE₁₅ | ZONER₁₅ | ZONES₁₅ | ZOOID₁₅ |
| ZOONS₁₅ | ZORIL₁₅ | ZAIRE₁₄ | ZEERA₁₄ | ZEROS₁₄ |
| ZESTS₁₄ | ZETAS₁₄ | ZITIS₁₄ | ZOEAE₁₄ | ZOEAS₁₄ |
| ZORIS₁₄ | ZORRO₁₄ | ZORSE₁₄ |
If you want to find out words starting with other letters, you can check our Master List of 5-Letter Words to find every word from A to Z!
Tips for Winning With “Z” Words
- In Wordle: Don’t save the Z for the last row! While Z is rare, it often appears in common words like ZEBRA₁₇ or ZESTY₁₆ . If you’ve eliminated S and T but the word still feels “sharp,” try a Z-start to narrow down your options.
- In Words With Friends: Use the “Double Z” strategy. Words like ZANZA₂₄ or ZAZEN₂₄ are worth their weight in gold because they let you use two 10-point tiles in a single turn.
- The ‘I’ Connection: As you can see from our list, Z and I are best friends. If you have a green Z at the start, words like ZIPPY₂₂ , ZILCH₂₀ , or ZINGS₁₇ are your best bets for finding the rest of the word.
So that’s it, peeps! You are now officially a master of the letter Z.
