4-letter words starting with Z

    56 4-letter words starting with Z, sorted alphabetically with Scrabble & Words With Friends scores.

    Here are 56 4-letter words that begin with Z, pulled from our 270,000-word dictionary. They're handy when you've locked the opening letter in Wordle, or when Z is the only tile you can lead with on a Scrabble or Words With Friends board.

    Each word shows its Scrabble and Words With Friends point values so you can spot the highest-scoring openers at a glance.

    The strongest Scrabble play in this list is ZIZZ (31 points).

    Want to filter by the letters you already have? Try the Word Unscrambler or the Wordle Solver.

    List insights

    56
    Total words
    ZIZZ (31)
    Best Scrabble play
    ZIZZ (31)
    Best WWF play
    15.2
    Average Scrabble score
    ZOEA (3)
    Vowel-heaviest
    Z (56)
    Most common start
    56
    With J, Q, X or Z

    Complete word list

    ZACKScrabble 19WWF 20
    ZAGSScrabble 14WWF 15
    ZANYScrabble 16WWF 16

    a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect

    ZAPSScrabble 15WWF 16
    ZARFScrabble 16WWF 16

    an ornamental metal cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup

    ZARIScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZATIScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZEALScrabble 13WWF 14

    a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)

    ZEASScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZEBUScrabble 15WWF 17

    domesticated ox having a humped back and long horns and a large dewlap; used chiefly as a draft animal in India and east Asia

    ZEDSScrabble 14WWF 14
    ZEESScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZEINScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZEKSScrabble 17WWF 17
    ZELSScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZEPSScrabble 15WWF 16
    ZERKScrabble 17WWF 17
    ZEROScrabble 13WWF 13

    a quantity of no importance; thing (object:), singular, negative pronoun; pronoun, thing, singular; quantifier: negative existential

    ZESTScrabble 13WWF 13

    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment

    ZETAScrabble 13WWF 13

    the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet

    ZEZEScrabble 22WWF 22
    ZHOSScrabble 16WWF 15
    ZIFFScrabble 19WWF 19
    ZIGSScrabble 14WWF 15
    ZILAScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZILLScrabble 13WWF 15

    one of a pair of small metallic cymbals worn on the thumb and middle finger; used in belly dancing in rhythm with the dance

    ZIMBScrabble 17WWF 19
    ZINCScrabble 15WWF 17

    a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and…

    ZINEScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZINGScrabble 14WWF 16

    a brief high-pitched buzzing or humming sound

    ZINSScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZIPSScrabble 15WWF 16
    ZITEScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZITIScrabble 13WWF 13

    medium-sized tubular pasta in short pieces

    ZITSScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZIZZScrabble 31WWF 31

    a buzzing or whizzing sound

    ZOBOScrabble 15WWF 16
    ZOBUScrabble 15WWF 17
    ZOEAScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZOICScrabble 15WWF 16

    pertaining to animals or animal life or action

    ZOLSScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZONAScrabble 13WWF 14

    (anatomy) any encircling or beltlike structure

    ZONEScrabble 13WWF 14

    a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features

    ZONKScrabble 17WWF 18
    ZOOMScrabble 15WWF 16

    a rapid rise

    ZOONScrabble 13WWF 14
    ZOOSScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZOOTScrabble 13WWF 13
    ZORIScrabble 13WWF 13

    a sandal attached to the foot by a thong over the toes

    ZOUKScrabble 17WWF 18
    ZULUScrabble 13WWF 16

    a member of the tall Negroid people of eastern South Africa; some live in KwaZulu-Natal under the traditional clan system but many now…

    ZUPAScrabble 15WWF 17
    ZURFScrabble 16WWF 17
    ZYGAScrabble 17WWF 17
    ZYMEScrabble 18WWF 18
    ZZZSScrabble 31WWF 31

    Definitions from Open English WordNet 2025 (CC BY 4.0), incorporating Princeton WordNet data