Words Containing ZA
100 wordsWords containing ZA bring together one of English's rarest letters with an open vowel sound. This combination appears in borrowings from Spanish plazas to Arabic alcazars, plus technical terms ending in -ization. You'll find everything from quick three-letter plays to marathon vocabulary stretches.
3-letter words
24-letter words
55-letter words
96-letter words
157-letter words
98-letter words
49-letter words
910-letter words
311-letter words
112-letter words
1113-letter words
1114-letter words
915-letter words
816-letter words
117-letter words
3Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
The ZA combination offers some of the most rewarding plays in word games, from quick two-letter setups to elaborate point explosions.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
The -ization suffix dominates this pattern, transforming verbs into nouns that describe processes or states. Words like compartmentalization and hyperimmunization follow a predictable Latin-derived formula: verb root plus -ize plus -ation. Outside technical vocabulary, ZA words often trace back to Mediterranean languages, carrying sounds that felt exotic enough to keep their original spelling.
Total Words
735
0.2% of dictionary
Avg Length
11.6 letters
4.9 syllables
Top Scrabble
PIZZAZZ
45 points
Longest Word
ANTHROPOMORPHIZATION
20 letters
Parts of Speech
With 89% nouns and an average length of 11.6 letters, this pattern skews heavily toward formal vocabulary. The nearly 5 syllables per word reflects all those -ization endings piling up suffixes.
Italian and French lead the way here, with Spanish and Arabic close behind. The word PLAZA traces a clear path from Spanish through Latin to Ancient Greek, while ALCAZAR traveled from Arabic through Aramaic—both languages that shaped Iberian vocabulary during centuries of cultural contact. LAZARET shows Italian maritime influence, originating from leper hospitals named after Lazarus.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Medium (5-7)
the activeness of an energetic personality
the activeness of an energetic personality
Long (8+)
(Old Testament) king of Chaldea who captured and destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Israelites to Babylonia (630?-562 BC)
a mild state of dissociation
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
the activeness of an energetic personality
the activeness of an energetic personality
Long (8+)
a mild state of dissociation
(Old Testament) king of Chaldea who captured and destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Israelites to Babylonia (630?-562 BC)
PIZZAZZ tops both Scrabble (45 points) and WWF (46 points), but the games value Z identically at 10 points each. The real strategic difference emerges with placement—WWF's board layout can amplify these already-powerful Z words differently. ZACK and ZAX give you quick plays when you're stuck with a Z and limited options. For longer games, NEBUCHADNEZZAR offers biblical firepower if you can find the space.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
a republic in central Africa; achieved independence from Belgium in 1960
Common Words (likely answers)
Italian open pie made of thin bread dough spread with a spiced mixture of e.g. tomato sauce and cheese
mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace
a person afflicted with leprosy
ZAIRE makes an unconventional but revealing starter, testing Z position while covering three vowels. SIZAR offers better consonant coverage with S and R, common letters that eliminate more possibilities.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Short ZA words like ZAX (a roofing tool) survive as specialized trade terms. The long words cluster around scientific and psychological terminology, where -ization became the standard way to nominalize processes.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
a brilliant solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music
of or relating to or characteristic of a czar
the act of making equal or uniform
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
"the idealization of rural life was very misleading"
CADENZA deserves attention—it's a brilliant solo passage near the end of a musical piece where performers traditionally improvise or show off technical skill. Worth 19 points in Scrabble, it's far more playable than the massive -ization words and carries genuine cultural weight for music lovers.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.