Z is the twenty-second consonant, and the twenty-seventh and last letter of the Spanish alphabet. It is a low-occurrence letter in Spanish.
Me compré una regadera de zinc para mi jardín.
I bought a zinc watering can for my garden.El niño se zambulló de cabeza en la piscina.
The boy dove headfirst into the pool.
The letter Z may appear in initial, middle, or final position in the word:
- Words starting with Z: zapato (shoe), zanahoria (carrot), zorro (fox).
- Words with Z in them: azul (blue), corazón (heart), danzar (to dance).
- Words ending in Z: paz (peace), pez (fish), nuez (walnut).
Pronunciation tip: The Spanish letter Z may have two different pronunciations depending on the country or region. While in Spain it is pronounced /θ/ as in “think”, in the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries, it is pronounced /s/ as in “see”:
Important: In Latin American countries, the letter Z has the same pronunciation as the letters s and c (before e and i). Therefore, attention should be paid to spelling rules when writing.
Spanish nouns that start with Z
| zapato shoe | zombi zombi | zanco stilt |
| zafiro sapphire | zarza blackberry bush | zigzag zigzag |
| zeta zee | zoológico zoo | zafarrancho mess |
| zona zone | zócalo baseboard | zuncho metal hoop |
| zapatilla sneaker | zodíaco zodiac | zar tzar |
| zozobra anxiety | zueco clog | zoquete ankle sock |
| zumo juice | zarcillo earring | zarzuela zarzuela (Spanish operetta) |
| zanja ditch | Zeus Zeus | zamba zambo |
| zaguán hallway | zapatero shoemaker | zafra sugar harvest |
| zumbido buzzing | zinc zinc | zen Zen |
Animals starting with Z: zorro (fox), zorrino (skunk), zorzal (thrush), zarigüeya (possum).
Fruits and vegetables starting with Z: zanahoria (carrot), zapallo (pumpkin), zapallito (zucchini), zarzamora (blackberry).
Names starting with Z: Zulema, Zaira, Zoe, Zulma, Zenón, Zacarías, Zoilo, Zamuel.
¿Te gustan mis nuevos zapatos?
Do you like my new shoes?En primavera hay muchas zarzamoras silvestres en esta zona.
In spring, there are many wild blackberries in this area.Nicolás II fue el último zar de Rusia.
Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia.La Reina de Inglaterra lució una hermosa gargantilla de zafiros.
The Queen of England wore a beautiful sapphire necklace.
- See also: Spanish nouns
Spanish adjectives that start with Z
| zurdo left-handed | zigzagueante winding, in a zigzag | zonzo stupid |
| zen zen | zarista tsarist | zacatecano native of Zacatecas, Mexico |
| zonal zonal | zapatista Zapatista, pertaining to Emiliano Zapata | zambiano Zambian |
| zombi zombi | zaino treacherous | zaireño Zairian |
| zelandés New Zealander | zimbabuense Zimbabwean | zopenco numskull |
| zodiacal zodiacal | zaragozano pertaining to Zaragoza | zalamero fawning, smarming |
Mientras que Juan es zurdo, su hermano es diestro.
While Juan is left-handed, his brother is right-handed.¡Qué niño zalamero! Me llena de cumplidos para obtener lo que quiere.
What a smarmy child! He showers me with compliments to get what he wants.Nos agrada la música zen con sonidos de la naturaleza.
We like zen music with sounds of nature.El auto venía zigzagueante a toda velocidad.
The car was zigzagging at full speed.
- See also: Spanish adjectives
Spanish verbs that start with Z
| zarpar to set sail | zigzaguear to zigzag | zozobrar to sink |
| zambullir to dive, plunge | zumbar to buzz | zonificar to divide into zones |
| zapatear to stamp one’s feet | zurcir to sew up | zanjar to settle |
| zafar to get away with | zampar to scarf down | zamarrear to shake forcefully |
Me encanta zambullirme de cabeza en el lago.
I love diving headfirst into the lake.Él siempre logra zafar y nunca descubren sus travesuras.
He always gets away with it and his shenanigans are never discovered.Tras zanjar nuestras diferencias, pudimos mejorar la relación con Victoria.
After settling our differences, we were able to improve our relationship with Victoria.La abuela zurció el agujero en el sweater y ya no se nota.
Grandma sewed up the hole in the sweater and it is no longer noticeable.
- See also: Spanish verbs
Spanish words with Z in them
| azúcar sugar | pizarra slate | hazaña feat |
| azul blue | cerezo cherry tree | confianza confidence |
| azar chance | azulejo tile | riqueza wealth |
| belleza beauty | rezar to pray | utilizar to use |
| corazón heart | bizcocho biscuit | vergüenza embarrassment |
| limpieza cleanliness | fuerza strength | azufre sulfur |
| danza dance | cazuela casserole | pizca pinch |
| pieza piece | mezclar to mix | mazorca corncob |
| razón reason | comenzar to begin | azucena Madonna lily |
| cabeza head | finalizar to end | mestizo mestizo |
Agregar una pizca de sal a la mezcla y llevar al horno.
Add a pinch of salt to the mixture and put it in the oven.¿Qué piezas eliges, las negras o las blancas?
Which pieces do you choose, the black ones or the white ones?Te quiero con todo mi corazón.
I love you with all my heart.¿Quieres tu café con o sin azúcar?
Would you like your coffee with or without sugar?
- See also: Spanish words
Spanish words ending in Z
| lápiz pencil | cruz cross | vejez old age |
| arroz rice | juez judge | validez validity |
| pez fish | timidez shyness | escasez shortage |
| luz light | cáliz goblet | capataz foreman |
| feliz happy | voraz voracious | directriz guideline |
| nariz nose | audaz audacious | mordaz scathing |
| voz voice | niñez childhood | avidez avidity |
| paz peace | fugaz fleeting | maíz corn |
| veloz quick, swift | estupidez stupidity | lombriz worm |
| disfraz costume | tenaz tenacious | eficaz effective |
¿Qué disfraz te pondrás para Halloween?
What costume will you wear for Halloween?Voy a abrir las persianas para que pueda entrar la luz.
I’ll open the blinds to let light in.La otra parte cuestiona la validez del contrato.
The other party is questioning the validity of the contract.Pasé mi niñez en un pequeño pueblo en España.
I spent my childhood in a small town in Spain.
Important: Many Spanish words ending in Z are homophonous with others, meaning they are pronounced in the same way, but they are spelled differently and have a different meaning: vez (time) / ves (form of ver, meaning “to see”), tez (complexion) / tés (plural of té, meaning “tea”).
More everyday Spanish words with Z in them
Some more everyday Spanish words with Z in them include:
quizá, quizás
perhaps
¡Zas!
Bam!
vez
time
pozo
hole
cruzar
to cross
Mi mejor amiga comió sushi una sola vez en su vida.
My best friend ate sushi only once in her life.
Venía caminando y ¡zas! Se cayó en un pozo.
He was walking, and bam! He fell into a hole.
You may also like:
Practice: Spanish words with Z
References
- Wordreference.com, “mordaz,” accessed December 2, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed December 2, 2024, under “scathing,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- Real Academia Española, Diccionario de la lengua española, under “zozobrar,” accessed December 2, 2024, https://dle.rae.es/
- Enciclopedia del Lenguaje, “Palabras con Z,” by Carla Giani. Last updated October 25, 2024, https://lenguaje.com/
Was this information useful to you?
Yes NoGreat!, thank you for visiting us :)