What is the highest-scoring 9-letter word starting with Z?

ZULHIJJAH scores 38 points, the highest of the 209 valid 9-letter words starting with Z in the SOWPODS dictionary.

How many 9-letter words starting with Z are there in Scrabble?

There are 209 valid 9-letter words starting with Z in the SOWPODS (international) dictionary.

How many points is the letter Z worth in Scrabble?

Z is worth 10 points on a standard Scrabble tile.

9 Letter Words Starting with Z

Solver Quiz Anagram Rack WOTD 60s Magic Squares Wordrus

July 30, 2026 7 min read Word Finder

9-letter words starting with Z: 209 valid plays. Z is one of Scrabble's four power tiles, worth 10 points on its own. The top scorer is ZULHIJJAH (38 points). For context, the typical letter in this position gives you around 2054 words, so Z comes in below that.

Why Z at the Start Matters

💡 Tile Value

Every word in this list already carries an Z, so you're banking 10 points before any multiplier lands on it — land it on a Double or Triple Letter Score and the swing is large.

Because you place the first letter, 9-letter words starting with Z work well for parallel plays — starting a new word alongside one already on the board without touching it.

Notable Words

Highest scorer: ZULHIJJAH is worth 38 points — Z's 10 points plus the rest of the tiles in the word. It's the play to look for if you're building toward a big turn.

Worth memorising first: ZARZUELAS (27 points) is one of the lower scorers here, which usually means it's a more familiar word — a safer one to keep in your working vocabulary than the obscure high scorers.

How many options: 209 valid 9-letter words starting with Z exist in SOWPODS — fewer than the ~2054 typical for this slot, so it's realistic to learn most of the useful ones.

Try This on the Board

🧩 Worked Example

Play ZULHIJJAH through a Double Word Score square and it scores 76 points instead of 38 — worth chasing when you have the tiles and the board opens up that square.