Is ZA a Scrabble Word? Yes! 11 Points for Pizza Slang
Got that high-value Z tile but nowhere to put it? ZA is your answer. Worth 11 points for just two tiles, ZA is the informal shortening of "pizza" that every Scrabble player needs in their arsenal. Like its partner QI, ZA was added to the official dictionary in 2006 and immediately became one of the most strategically important 2-letter words in the game.
ZA
11 points · Z(10) + A(1) · Informal: pizza · Added 2006
ZA is the most-played Z word in competitive Scrabble. Short for pizza, it gives you an easy outlet for the 10-point Z tile whenever an A is accessible on the board. Combined with premium squares, ZA regularly scores 20-30+ points in a single play.
11
Base Points
31
On Triple Letter
2006
Year Added
#1
2-Letter Z Word
Dictionary Validity
ZA is accepted in every major Scrabble dictionary. No matter where or how you play, ZA is legal.
✓ Valid in TWL (NASPA)
Tournament Word List — all North American competitive play, NASPA-sanctioned tournaments and clubs
✓ Valid in SOWPODS (Collins)
Collins Scrabble Words — international tournaments, UK, Australia, and worldwide competitive play
What Does ZA Mean?
📖 Definition
ZA is informal slang for pizza, commonly used in American English. The clipping became widespread in casual speech during the 1970s-80s, particularly among younger speakers. Example: "Let's grab some za after the game." While some purists objected to its inclusion in the Scrabble dictionary, its established usage in American English qualified it for official recognition.
Z-Tile Strategy with ZA
The Z tile is worth 10 points — the second-highest value after Q. ZA gives you a reliable way to deploy it without needing a complex setup.
Triple Letter targeting: Z on a Triple Letter Square = 30 points for Z alone, making ZA a 31-point play. With A being the most common letter in the bag (9 tiles), opportunities arise frequently.
Parallel plays: Play ZA alongside existing words to form multiple crosswords. Since A appears in countless 2-letter words (AA, AB, AD, AE, AG, AH, AI, AL, AM, AN, AR, AS, AT, AW, AX, AY), the A in ZA almost always creates a valid cross.
ZAS plural hook: ZA pluralizes to ZAS (12pts). If ZA is on the board, you can hook an S to score while building your main word through it.
Early Z deployment: Unlike Q, don't hold the Z too long hoping for PIZZA or JAZZ. Playing ZA early on a premium square is often worth more than waiting for a longer Z word that may never come.
2-Letter Z Words Comparison
How does ZA stack up against the other 2-letter Z options?
ZA — 11pts (TWL + SOWPODS)
Universal. Valid everywhere. Only needs an A tile — the most common letter in the bag. Your default Z-dump word.
ZO — 11pts (SOWPODS only)
A Tibetan yak hybrid. Valid in international/Collins play only — NOT valid in TWL/North American tournaments. Know your dictionary before playing.
ZE — 11pts (SOWPODS only)
Gender-neutral pronoun. Collins-only — invalid in TWL. Risky play unless you're certain of the dictionary being used.
🔍 Find the best Z words for your rack — free, instant, no sign-up
Open Word Finder →Quick Tips
Practice with the solver: Enter your rack tiles into our free word finder to discover every valid combination. Seeing all options trains your pattern recognition over time.
Memorise in groups: Rather than learning words randomly, study them by pattern — same prefix, same suffix, or same tile combination. Grouped learning is 3x more effective than isolated word lists.
Test yourself daily: Pick 5 words from this page each day and try to use them in practice games. Active recall beats passive reading for long-term retention.
Advanced Rack Management
🏆 Rack Leave Principle
Elite players evaluate every word not just by its score but by what it leaves on the rack. A good leave: 3-4 consonants + 2-3 vowels, retains S/E/R/T, avoids duplicates.
✓ Good Leave
One high-value tile (J/X/Z) + common letters
✗ Bad Leave
Q without U + multiple low-frequency consonants
50pts
Bingo bonus for 7 tiles
3x
More options from balanced rack
100%
Rack deduction in endgame
📚 Sources & References
- • SOWPODS International Dictionary (267,751 words), Collins + TWL combined
- • Tournament Word List (TWL06), NASPA Word List Committee
- • Collins Scrabble Words (CSW), HarperCollins Publishers
- • Tile distribution & values per Hasbro official Scrabble rules
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