You're staring at the board. The tiles in your rack are a disaster—a Q, a Z, and five vowels that don't seem to want to cooperate with anything. Your opponent just dropped a fifty-point word and they're looking smug. You need a way out, and you need it fast. Most people think they need a long, complex word to catch up, but the real power in competitive word games usually hides in the tiniest combinations possible. Specifically, 2 letter words with a z are the literal lifeblood of high-level play.
If you don't know them, you're essentially playing with one hand tied behind your back.
It’s kinda wild how much weight these two little words carry. In the official Scrabble dictionaries used in North America and internationally, there are exactly two of them. That's it. Just two. But those two words—ZA and ZE—account for a massive percentage of "save" plays in tournament rooms from Albany to Albuquerque. They are the difference between a wasted turn and a 30-point swing.
Honestly, if you aren't looking for the "Z" hook every single time you draw that tile, you're leaving points on the table. It’s not just about getting rid of a high-value tile; it’s about strategic placement on those high-multiplier squares that change the entire complexion of the game.
The Only 2 Letter Words With a Z You Need to Memorize
Let's get straight to the point because there's no reason to gatekeep this. In the NASSC (North American Scrabble Players Association) word list and the Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) list, your options are:
- ZA
- ZE
That’s the list.
Wait, you might be thinking, what about "ZO" or "UZ"? Nope. Not in the standard English dictionaries used for gaming. People try to sneak "ZO" (a Tibetan breed of cattle) into casual games all the time, and while it is a word in some very specific, older dictionaries, it isn't legal in standard Scrabble or Words With Friends play. Stick to ZA and ZE if you want to avoid a challenge that costs you a turn.
ZA is basically slang for pizza. It’s been in the official lexicon for years, though some purists still find it annoying. It's incredibly useful because "A" is the most common vowel in the game. You can almost always find an "A" hanging out somewhere on the board near a Triple Letter score.
ZE, on the other hand, is a gender-neutral pronoun. It’s a more recent addition to many dictionaries compared to "ZA," reflecting how language actually evolves. Because "E" is also everywhere, ZE is often even easier to play than its pizza-related cousin.
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Why These Tiny Words Actually Matter for Your Score
It sounds counterintuitive. How can a two-letter word beat a five-letter word? It’s all about the "parallel play."
Imagine there is a word already on the board, like "TRAIN." If you place your Z above the "A" in "TRAIN" and an "A" next to it (forming ZA), you aren't just getting points for ZA. You're also potentially forming a new word vertically. If that Z lands on a Triple Letter score, you get 30 points just for that one tile ($10 \times 3$). If you play it as part of two words simultaneously—one horizontal and one vertical—you double those points.
Suddenly, a tiny 2-letter word is worth 60+ points.
Experienced players like Nigel Richards, who is widely considered the greatest Scrabble player of all time, don't just look for long words. They look for "hooks." A hook is a single letter you add to an existing word to make a new one. The 2 letter words with a z are the ultimate hooks.
Dealing With the "Z" Anxiety
Most casual players get "tile panic." The moment they see that 10-point value on the Z, they want it gone. They’ll play it on the first available spot just to clear the rack. This is a mistake.
The Z is a weapon. You shouldn't dump it; you should aim it.
Think about the board geometry. The edges and the areas around the premium squares (colored pink, red, light blue, and dark blue) are where the game is won or lost. If you hold onto your Z for one or two more turns, a "ZA" or "ZE" opportunity almost always opens up on a Double or Triple score.
A Note on Different Dictionaries
It is worth noting that if you are playing Words With Friends, the rules are slightly more relaxed. Their dictionary (the ENABLE list, mostly) is a bit more inclusive of slang. However, even there, ZA and ZE remain the gold standard.
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If you travel or play online against people in the UK or Australia, they often use the Collins dictionary. In that specific ecosystem, you might encounter more obscure variations, but for 99% of players reading this, ZA and ZE are the only two you will ever need.
There used to be a lot of debate about whether "slang" like ZA belonged in a serious game. Language experts at Merriam-Webster have pointed out that dictionaries don't decide how we speak; they reflect how we already speak. Since people have been calling pizza "za" in college dorms since the 70s, it eventually earned its spot. It's legitimate. It's legal. Use it.
Common Misconceptions About High-Value Tiles
People think the Q is the hardest tile. It isn't. The Q is annoying because it usually requires a U. But the Z? The Z is flexible.
The biggest misconception is that you need to save the Z for a big word like "HAZARD" or "WIZARD."
Actually, the math rarely supports that. A word like "WIZARD" uses six tiles. If you can get the same or more points by playing ZE on a Triple Letter score while only using one or two tiles, you’re in a much better position. You keep your other tiles for a potential Bingo (using all seven tiles on your rack for a 50-point bonus).
Efficiency is the name of the game.
Tactical Advice for Your Next Game
If you want to start winning more consistently, you have to change how you look at the board. Stop looking for "cool" words. Start looking for "A"s and "E"s that are sitting next to multipliers.
- Scan for the multipliers first. Look at every Double Letter or Triple Letter square on the board.
- Check the neighbors. Is there an "A" or "E" exactly one square away (horizontally or vertically) from that multiplier?
- Drop the Z. If you have it, place it on the multiplier to form ZA or ZE.
This is "short-game" strategy. It’s less flashy than "QUIXOTIC," but it’s how you win tournaments.
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Another tip: don't forget that you can play these words "backwards" or "downwards." You don't have to start the word with the Z. If there is a Z already on the board from another word, you can simply tuck an "A" or "E" next to it to score. This is a great way to "mooch" off your opponent's high-value tiles.
Real-World Examples of ZA and ZE in Action
I once saw a game where a player was down by 40 points on the final turn. The board was cramped. There was no room for anything long. But there was a stray "E" sitting next to a Triple Letter score. The player dropped their Z to make ZE.
The Z was on the Triple Letter: 30 points.
The "E" was already there.
Because it was the final play, they also got the points remaining in their opponent's rack.
They won by 2 points.
That’s the power of 2 letter words with a z. They are the "clutch" plays of the word-gaming world. They are small, they are unassuming, and they are absolutely devastating when used correctly.
Practical Next Steps for Players
Stop trying to memorize the entire dictionary. It's a waste of time for most people. Instead, focus on the "short list."
Start by practicing "parallel plays" in your casual games. Even if you don't have the Z, try to play two-letter words alongside existing words to see how the scoring compounds. Once you get comfortable with the mechanics of scoring two words at once, adding ZA and ZE to your arsenal will feel like a superpower.
Next time you open your game app or unfold the cardboard board, keep these two words in the front of your mind. Don't let the Z sit on your rack for ten turns while you wait for a miracle. Look for the "A," look for the "E," and take your points. It’s the simplest way to move from a casual player to someone people are actually afraid to play against.
Focus on these three things for your next session:
- Identify every "A" and "E" on the board that is adjacent to a bonus square.
- Prioritize using the Z on a bonus square for a 2-letter word over a 5-letter word on standard squares.
- Challenge anyone who says ZA isn't a "real" word—it's in the book, and points are points.
The beauty of these words is their simplicity. You don't need a massive vocabulary to be a great player; you just need to know the right tiny words to use at the right time.