Spanish Words That Start With Z
The most useful Spanish words that start with Z are zapato (shoe), zanahoria (carrot), zona (area, zone), zorro (fox), zumo (juice, in Spain), zurdo (left-handed), zoológico (zoo) and the verb zarpar (to set sail). Z is a small letter in Spanish, because before E and I the sound is usually spelled with C instead: cero, not zero. Most Z words are followed by A, O or U.
How to pronounce Z in Spanish
- Latin America, the Canary Islands and parts of southern Spain: Z sounds like English S. Zapato = “sah-PAH-toh”.
- Most of Spain: Z sounds like the “th” in “thin”. Zapato = “thah-PAH-toh”. This is not a lisp; it is the standard pronunciation there.
Spanish Z is never the buzzing English Z of “zoo”. Both pronunciations are correct; pick one and use it consistently.
Z or C? The spelling rule
The same sound is written Z before A, O, U and C before E, I. That is why plurals and verb forms switch letters:
| Z form | C form |
|---|---|
| el lápiz (pencil) | los lápices |
| la luz (light) | las luces |
| la voz (voice) | las voces |
| empezar (to start) | empecé (I started) |
| cruzar (to cross) | crucé (I crossed) |
A few loanwords and names keep Z before E or I: zigzag, zinc, zeta (the name of the letter), Zeus, zepelín. The verb change in empecé is covered on our page about -car, -gar, -zar verbs.
Everyday words
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| el zapato | shoe | Necesito un par de zapatos nuevos. (I need a new pair of shoes.) |
| la zapatilla | sneaker (Spain); slipper | Ponte las zapatillas para correr. |
| la zapatería | shoe shop | Hay una zapatería en la esquina. |
| la zona | area, zone | Vivo en una zona tranquila. (I live in a quiet area.) |
| el zumo | juice (Spain; jugo in Latin America) | Un zumo de naranja, por favor. |
| la zanahoria | carrot | Corta las zanahorias en rodajas. |
| el zoológico / el zoo | zoo | Los niños quieren ir al zoológico. |
| la zarza | bramble, blackberry bush | Me arañé con una zarza. |
| la zarzamora | blackberry | Hicimos mermelada de zarzamora. |
| el zócalo | main square (Mexico); skirting board (Spain) | Nos vemos en el Zócalo. |
| el zurdo / la zurda | left-handed person | Mi hermano es zurdo. |
| el zumbido | buzzing, hum | Oigo un zumbido en el oído. |
Food and drink
| Spanish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| la zanahoria | carrot | pastel de zanahoria = carrot cake |
| el zumo | juice | Spain; zumo natural = freshly squeezed |
| el zapallo | squash, pumpkin | Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru (calabaza elsewhere) |
| el zapallito | zucchini, courgette | Southern Cone (calabacín in Spain) |
| la zarzuela de mariscos | Catalan seafood stew | zarzuela is also a Spanish light opera |
| la zarzamora | blackberry | mora is more common in everyday speech |
| el zapote | sapote (tropical fruit) | Mexico, Central America |
Example: De primero, crema de zapallo; de postre, pastel de zanahoria. (For the first course, squash soup; for dessert, carrot cake.)
Clothes and things you wear
- el zapato – shoe; los zapatos de tacón – high heels
- la zapatilla – trainer, sneaker (Spain) or house slipper (many countries)
- el zueco – clog
- el zíper / el cierre – zipper (Mexico, Central America / Southern Cone); Spain says la cremallera
- el zarcillo – earring (Venezuela, parts of the Caribbean); el arete or el pendiente elsewhere
Example: Se me rompió el zíper de la chamarra. (The zipper on my jacket broke. – Mexico)
Animals and nature
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el zorro / la zorra | fox (zorra is also an insult in Spain; zorro hembra avoids it) |
| la cebra | zebra – spelled with C, a common trap |
| el zancudo | mosquito (Latin America) |
| el zángano | drone bee; informally, a lazy person |
| la zarigüeya | opossum |
| el zorzal | thrush (bird) |
| el zafiro | sapphire |
| el zinc / el cinc | zinc (both spellings are accepted) |
Verbs
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| zarpar | to set sail | El barco zarpa a las seis. (The ship sails at six.) |
| zambullirse | to dive, plunge into water | Se zambulló en la piscina. |
| zumbar | to buzz, hum | Me zumban los oídos. (My ears are ringing.) |
| zafarse | to get free of, get out of | Se zafó del compromiso. (He got out of the commitment.) |
| zanjar | to settle (a matter) | Zanjamos el tema en la reunión. |
| zurcir | to darn, mend | Mi abuela zurce los calcetines. |
| zapatear | to stamp, tap your feet (in dance) | Los bailaores zapatean en el flamenco. |
| zarandear | to shake (someone) hard | Lo zarandeó para despertarlo. |
Many more everyday verbs end in -zar rather than starting with Z: empezar, almorzar, organizar, realizar, cruzar, rezar, utilizar. They change Z to C in the yo preterite and the subjunctive: empiece, almorcé.
Adjectives
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| zurdo / zurda | left-handed | Es una tenista zurda. |
| zalamero / zalamera | flattering, sweet-talking | Qué zalamero eres cuando quieres algo. |
| zafio / zafia | coarse, crude | Un comentario zafio. |
| zoológico | zoological | un parque zoológico |
| zigzagueante | zigzagging, winding | una carretera zigzagueante |
Z has almost no adverbs of its own. Adverbs are formed with -mente from adjectives, and Z adjectives are rare, so you will meet zafiamente in writing at most.
Common expressions
A handful of fixed phrases with Z words come up again and again in conversation, on signs and in the news. These are the ones worth recognising first:
- ser un zorro – to be sly, cunning: Ese vendedor es un zorro.
- estar en zona de confort – to be in one’s comfort zone
- la zona de carga y descarga – loading zone (on street signs)
- andar en zigzag – to walk in a zigzag
- la zona horaria – time zone
- zona azul – paid short-stay parking area (Spain)
Z words in real sentences
- ¿Dónde puedo comprar zapatos de niño por esta zona? – Where can I buy children’s shoes around here?
- Mi hija es zurda y le cuesta usar estas tijeras. – My daughter is left-handed and finds these scissors hard to use.
- El ferry zarpó con media hora de retraso. – The ferry sailed half an hour late.
- Le echo una zanahoria rallada a la ensalada. – I add a grated carrot to the salad.
- Esta es una zona peatonal; no se puede aparcar. – This is a pedestrian zone; you can’t park.
- Los mosquitos me zumbaban en la oreja toda la noche. – Mosquitoes were buzzing in my ear all night.
- Al final se zafó de la cena con una excusa. – In the end he got out of the dinner with an excuse.
- Vimos un zorro cruzando la carretera. – We saw a fox crossing the road.
- El sábado llevamos a los niños al zoológico. – On Saturday we’re taking the kids to the zoo.
- Tenemos que zanjar este asunto antes del viernes. – We have to settle this matter before Friday.
Names and places with Z
Z is more common in names than in ordinary words: Zaragoza (city in Spain), Zacatecas (Mexican state), Zamora (city in Spain and Mexico), Zulia (state in Venezuela), and surnames like Zapata, Zamora, Zúñiga and Zavala. Many Spanish surnames end in -ez (González, Pérez, Martínez), which once meant “son of”.
Words that only look like Z words
Old lists online, including an earlier version of this page, mix in words that don’t start with Z or don’t exist:
- azúcar (sugar) and azotea (flat roof) start with A.
- The caretaker is el celador or el conserje, with C; “zelador” is not Spanish.
- Zebra is cebra, zero is cero, zinc is zinc or cinc.
- Adverbs like “zopencamente” or “zozobrantemente” are not used.
Common learner mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| los lápizes | los lápices | Z becomes C before E |
| zero | cero | C before E |
| una zebra | una cebra | C before E |
| empezé | empecé | Z becomes C before É |
| pronouncing zona with an English buzzing Z | “SOH-nah” or “THOH-nah” | Spanish Z is S or TH, never buzzing |
| un jugo in Madrid / un zumo in Mexico City | both understood | but zumo is the Spanish word and jugo the Latin American one |
Practice
- Write the plural: la luz → ___
- Write the plural: el pez (fish) → ___
- Translate: I need new shoes.
- Fill in: Ayer ___ a trabajar a las ocho. (empezar, yo)
- Which is correct: zebra or cebra?
- Translate: The ship sets sail tomorrow.
Answers: 1. las luces 2. los peces 3. Necesito zapatos nuevos. 4. empecé 5. cebra 6. El barco zarpa mañana.
Quick answers
Why are there so few Spanish words starting with Z?
Because before E and I the same sound is spelled with C, and many words that start with Z in English (zero, zebra) start with C in Spanish.
Is Z pronounced “th” in Spanish?
In most of Spain, yes. In Latin America and the Canary Islands, it sounds like S. Both are correct.
What are easy Spanish Z words for kids?
Zapato (shoe), zorro (fox), zanahoria (carrot), zoológico (zoo) and zumo (juice). For a picture alphabet, zorro or zapato works better than zebra, which is spelled cebra.
Do Spanish words end in Z?
Yes, quite a lot: luz (light), voz (voice), vez (time, occasion), paz (peace), pez (fish), nariz (nose), lápiz (pencil), feliz (happy), actriz (actress). They all form the plural with -ces.
What is the Spanish name of the letter Z?
Zeta (some older speakers say zeda). It is feminine: la zeta.
