Blog

Is Za a valid word in word games?

Another day of word games with the family and you have the coveted but dreaded Z! While we may not use Z much in everyday language, the fun thing about games like Scrabble, ScrabbleGo or Words with Friends is that they also have 2 letter, 3 letter words in the dictionary of accepted words. If you’re wondering what words you can make that start with Z, you’ve come to the right page!

Considering Z comes with a high score of 10 points, it can make or break a game based on how you use it. Using high value letters with a double or triple letter or word score is guaranteed to get you ahead of the opponent!

Is Za a valid word in word games?

Words that are allowed in Scrabble or ScrabbleGo or even Words with Friends are based on the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD) and then depending on the game are slightly more lenient or strict.

Having said that, “Za” is recognised as a word by the OSPD and is therefore good to go in Scrabble, ScrabbleGo and Words with friends among other word games. Za is an abbreviation of the word pizza and will score you 11 points (10 from Z and 1 from A). This is without the use of any bonus squares. Using it on a double word score square and if you manage to make it twice, just those 2 letters can score you 44 points! There are even higher scores possible based on the permutations of bonus squares and words used!

Other “Z” words

While Za is one word that you can use, the OSPD as well as more lenient dictionaries allow other words that can be made with Z too.

Here, I give you a list of twenty 2 letter and 3 letter unusual words that start with Z along with their meaning wherever possible. Oh and you can also see the minimum score each word could earn for you. Thank me later!

1.  Za (11 points) – short form for Pizza
2.  Zas (12 points) – multiple Pizzas
3.  Zag (13 points) – sharp change in direction
4.  Zoa (12 points) – animals or organisms
5.  Zin (12 points) – abbreviation for Zinfandel
6.  Zax (19 points) – a tool used in roofing
7.  Zit (12 points) – a pimple or a boil
8.  Zap (14 points) – a sudden sound or energy with a dramatic impact’
9.  Azo (12 points) - containing two adjacent nitrogen atoms between carbon atoms
10. Fez (15 points) - a flat-topped conical red hat with a black tassel on top
11. Biz (14 points) – abbreviation for Business
12. Zed (13 points) – pronunciation of the letter Z in British English
13  Zee (12 points) – pronunciation of the letter Z in American English
14. Tiz (12 points) – a state of nervous excitement
15. Moz (14 points) – a hoodoo or a hex
16. Poz (14 points) - a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc
17. Zel (12 points) - a type of Turkish or Oriental cymbal
18. Sez (12 points) - non-standard spelling of ‘says’, used in representing uneducated speech
19. Luz (12 points) – a small bone in the human spinal column
20. Yez (15 points) - non-standard spelling of youse, used in representing dialectal speech

Zooming to the top of the scoreboard!

Scrabble and other word games are a fun way to not only pass endless hours without boredom, but they can also significantly expand your knowledge of words.

Slightly quicker thinking, placing your words right and using the right letters at the right time will see you conquer the scoreboard in no time!