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The Z is worth 10 points in Scrabble, the joint highest value tile on the board alongside the Q. That makes every word with a Z a scoring opportunity, and it makes the short Z words some of the most valuable plays you can memorize. Drop a Z on a premium square and a tiny two or three-letter word can outscore a long ordinary one.
This page covers the Z words that matter most. We start with the two-letter Z word every player needs, move through the three-letter Z words that turn the corner of a board into points, and finish with the highest scoring Z words for when you want a single huge play. Point values are shown for each, followed by tips for getting the most from your Z.
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In the standard North American TWL dictionary there is one two-letter Z word, and it is a gem. ZA is informal for a slice of pizza, and it lets you place a Z next to an existing tile for an instant 11 points before any bonus. Players using the SOWPODS dictionary also have ZO, a Tibetan hybrid animal, as a second option.
| Word | Points | Dictionary | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | 11 | TWL and SOWPODS | Slang for pizza |
| ZO | 11 | SOWPODS only | A Tibetan hybrid ox |
When you can build a longer word, the Z really pays off, especially in words that pack two Z tiles. PIZZAZZ is the headline act with four Z tiles for a base score of 45. Here are some of the biggest single-word Z scores in the game.
| Word | Points | Length | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIZZAZZ | 45 | 7 letters | Flair and energy |
| JAZZED | 32 | 6 letters | Made lively |
| FRIZZY | 30 | 6 letters | Tightly curled |
| BUZZED | 27 | 6 letters | Made a humming sound |
| PUZZLE | 26 | 6 letters | A brain teaser |
| QUARTZ | 24 | 6 letters | A hard mineral |
| ZEPHYR | 23 | 6 letters | A gentle breeze |
| ZOMBIE | 19 | 6 letters | A walking dead |
1. Keep ZA at the front of your mind. The two-letter ZA is the single most useful Z play in TWL. It lets you slot a Z beside an existing tile for 11 points, and on a double letter square that jumps to 21. Whenever you hold a Z and an A, look for an open spot where ZA fits.
2. Aim the Z at a colored square. Because the Z is worth 10, landing it on a double letter score adds 10 points and a triple letter score adds 20, before the rest of the word counts. Patience with a heavy tile pays off more than rushing it onto a plain square.
3. Use parallel plays. Short Z words like ZA, ZO, ZED, and ZIT can be laid alongside an existing word so the Z forms a second word in the crossing direction. These overlaps often score the Z twice in a single turn.
4. Do not hoard the Z too long. A high tile sitting on your rack is dead weight that limits your options. If a clean 20-point play is available now, take it rather than gambling on a perfect square that may never open up.
5. The same Z words work in Words With Friends. The Z is worth 10 in Words With Friends as well, and the short Z words are valid there too. The board layout differs, so scout where the bonus squares sit before you commit your Z.
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The Z is worth 10 points, tied with the Q for the highest face value on the board. That makes every Z word a scoring opportunity and the short Z words some of the most valuable plays to hold in memory, because a two or three-letter word carrying a Z on a premium square routinely outscores a long ordinary word played flat.
The best situation is a Z on a double or triple letter square where the word also reaches a word multiplier, so the tile is multiplied and then the whole word is multiplied again. Turning a board corner with a short Z word is the classic version of this, since it often scores in two directions at once. For memorising, learn the two and three-letter Z words as one small closed set first, since they are the plays you will actually reach for, and confirm anything less familiar against the NASPA Word List or Collins depending on which list your game uses.
Ten points, which ties it with the Q for the highest face value in the game. That value is why even a two-letter Z word can outscore a much longer word played on plain squares.
The standard North American word list contains one, which makes it worth committing to memory outright. The international Collins list differs here, so the count depends on which dictionary your game uses.
Because they place a 10-point tile in positions where longer words will not fit. Turning the corner of a board with a short Z word frequently scores in two directions at once, which doubles the benefit of the high tile value.
On a letter premium, ideally where the word also crosses a word multiplier. The tile value is multiplied first and the word score afterwards, so the two premiums compound rather than simply adding together.
Learn the two and three-letter Z words first as a single closed set, since those are the plays that come up most often. Recalling the set from memory is more effective than rereading a longer table of Z words.
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