Looking for some z words for kids? You’ve come to the right place! Today I’ve got a whole list of z words for preschool through elementary to get you started.

Z is the last letter in the English alphabet. Sometimes the letter can get overlooked in teaching, but it really is a great letter with lots of wonderful word options to choose from.

Not to mention, all the awesome onomatopoeia words like zoom, zip, zing, zap, and zzzz that we can come up with!

Note: Be sure to stick around to the end to get access to the free z word learning pack!

The Sounds of Z

Before we jump into words that begin with z let’s take a quick look at the two different sounds that z can make.

The two sounds of Z:

• /z/ as in zebra
• /s/ as in pretzel

These two sounds of z are very similar and can often be confused because the mouth formation you use to say both of these sounds are the same. The difference is that the /s/ sound is unvoiced and the /z/ sound is voiced.

A way helpful way to explain the two sounds of z to children would be to explain that: /z/ buzzes like a bee and /s/ hisses like a snake.

Z Words for Preschool

Before teaching z words to preschoolers, start with some basic letter recognition activities. Try a z word craft or practice shaping the letter z using pipe cleaners.

Another thing you can do at this age is prewriting activities. Not only does prewriting help with letter recognition, it strengthens the fine-motor skills needed for future writing.

As you introduce letter z for preschoolers, focus on teaching the /z/ sound first ( zoo, zebra, zip).

The reason is, Learning more than one sound for a letter can be overwhelming at this age. Preschoolers are in the process of trying associate every other letter in the alphabet with a particular sound. Therefore, stick with one z sound for now.

Here are some words that begin with z for preschool along with a few sentences you can use for context.

Words that begin with z for preschool:

• Zoo – My brother and I are going on a field trip to see the animals at the zoo.
• Zebra – The zebra looks like a horse but has black and white stripes.
• Zip – My mom helps me to zip my jacket before I got outside.
• Zoom – I like to zoom around the house and pretend that I am in an airplane.
• Zig Zag – I can draw a zig zag line.

Z Words for Kindergarten

Kindergarteners are learning more about the letter z and can usually come up with a few words that start with the /z/ sound as well as a few that end with the /z/ sound.

Words that begin with z for Kindergarten:

• Zero – I have zero cookies left because I ate them all.
• Zebra – The zebra with black and white stripes lives at the zoo.
• Zoo – I love visiting the zoo to see all the animals.
• Zipper – The zipper on my coat is stuck.
• Zucchini – We grow zucchini in our garden.
• Zap – The lighting zap lit up the sky.
• Zoom – He zoomed around the race track.

Words that end with z for Kindergarten:

• Buzz – I hear the bee buzz around the flowers.
• Whiz – I watched the bird whiz past me.
• Jazz – My dad loves to listen to jazz music.
• Quiz – I have a math quiz tomorrow.
• Fuzz – The baby had a of fuzz on brown hair on her head when she was born.
• Fizz – The soda fizz bubbled up in the cup.

Three Letter Z Words for Beginning Readers

While there are not a ton of common three letter z words for beginning readers, there are a few. Here are some CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words that start and end with the letter z.

Three letter words that begin with Z:

• Zoo – We went to the zoo.
• Zip – I can zip my coat.
• Zap – The cold weather could zap the flowers before they get to bloom.
• Zac – Zac is my friend.
• Zit – A zit is a pimple.
• Zen – His calm, zen personality helped him remain calm in the situation.

Three letter words that end with Z:

• Wiz – She is a math wiz.
• Fez – The man wore a red fez on his head.

Z Words for Elementary Students

On to some z words for elementary aged kids! Here are some z word ideas along with sentences you can use to help kids understand or utilize the word.

Words that begin with z for Elementary:

• Zone – Ted feels out of his comfort zone when he talks with new people.
• Zoom – The superhero zoomed out of sight.
• Zucchini – My mom grows zucchini in our garden.
• Zilch – We have searched all over the house for the lost money but have found zilch.
• Zesty – The zesty flavor of this dessert makes it my favorite.
• Zombie – I was so tired I walked around the house like a zombie.
• Zapped – Villain zapped the good guy with the one shot from his gun.
• Zipped – While the family waited, Sam zipped up to his room to grab his library books.
• Zoomed – The red, race car zoomed around the track.
• Zoology – William wants to pursue a career in zoology.
• Zinnias – My mom has a garden bed full of brightly colored zinnias.
• Zookeeper – A zookeeper is a person who looks over the animals at the zoo.
• Ziploc – I put my sandwich in a Ziplock bag.

Words that end with z for Elementary:

• Quartz – He discovered a rock with quartz in his backyard.
• Spritz – Don’t forget to spritz your hair with hairspray before you leave.
• Blitz – We are going to blitz this area with fliers about the upcoming garage sale.
• Speltz – Speltz is another name for spelt.
• Pizzazz – She danced with vigor and pizzazz.
• Ritz – She put on the ritz as she mingled at the party.
• Spaz – He is a spaz on the basketball court.

Advanced Z Words for Kids

Do you have kids that would enjoy some more advanced z words? Here are some less common words starting with z.

• Zillionaire – He’s so rich, he must be a zillionaire by now.
• Zirconium – The miners are trying to extract zirconium from the land.
• Zygote – As the zygote implants in the uterus it has already began to grow.
• Zestfully – When she finished her song, the audience zestfully applauded her.
• Ziti – My mom is making baked ziti for our family dinner tonight.
• Zealot – The zealot would do anything for his religion.

The Ultimate Z Words for Kids (List and Definitions)

• Zebra – an animal similar to a horse but with black and white stripes
• Zero – none
• Zoo – a public place to house animals for people to observe
• Zoom – to move quickly about
• Zinnia – a type of flowers with numerous petals
• Zinc – a type of metallic element
• Zucchini – a squash
• Zap– to attack or kill suddenly
• Zookeeper – someone who takes care of the animals at the zoo.
• Zig Zag – a sharp path with pointed angles
• Zeppelin – a type of airship
• Zippy – full of pep
• Zing – enthusiasm
• Zip – to move quickly from one place to another
• Zapped – attacked suddenly
• Zone – a portion or sectioned off piece (ie property)
• Zany – crazy and amusing
• Zombie – someone who is moving about lifeless, and automated
• Zealous – devoted and with much zeal
• Zipping – moving around quickly
• Zoning – sectioning off portions
• Zest – interested, eager, lively, excited
• Zilch – zero or having nothing
• Zingy – wonderfully exciting
• Zephyr – a soft breeze
• Zealot – someone who is passionate and shows lots of zeal
• Zodiac – an imaginary circuit of the heavens
• Zenith – the highest point
• Zoology – the science of studying animals
• Zillion – a number that cannot be calculated
• Zygote – a type of cell
• Zoography – the part of zoology that helps to describe animals.
• Zirconium – a metallic element
• Zonked – completely tired or asleep
• Zeal – eager, lively, excited
• Zen – a state of tranquility
• Zagging – following a zig-zag course
• Zonal – having a zone
• Zooming – moving about quickly
• Zappy – fast and energetic
• Zooplankton – plankton made up of animals
• Zipper – a closure made from two interlocking rows of metal or plastic.
• Zebra fish – a small, blue and silver, tropical fish.
• Ziti – a type of pasta
• Zestfully – a way that is full of zest and energy
• Zillionaire – Someone who is so rich you can’t calculate how much they have.
• Zoodles – long strips of zucchini used in place of a noodle
• Zircon – a type of mineral
• Zeppole – a type of doughnut
• Zit – a pimple
• Zinger – a witty remark

10 Letter ‘Z’ Word Activities for Kids

(This list of ideas contains Amazon Affiliate Links.)

Looking for creative ways to teach the letter z? Or a new ways to introduce words that start with z? Here is a list of activities that help to teach the letter z and all the wonderful word options that come along with it!

1. Free Z Word Learning Pack – Download the free Z Word Learning Pack that is available at the end of this post. It contains z letter tracing cards, handwriting practice for letter z in both print and cursive, along with a huge list of z words for kids.

2. Letter Z Crafts – Find some letter z crafts for your preschool or kindergarten learners. Not only are crafts fun, but they are great for letter z recognition.

3. Letter Z Coloring Pages– If you have kids who love to color, download a few free letter z coloring pages for them to enjoy. These can be great for building fine-motor skills, letter recognition, and letter formation.

4. Letter Z Picture Books– Kids learn so much through reading and storytelling! Find some picture books about z and enjoy some reading time with your little ones.

5. Fun Sensory Spelling Activities for Letter Z – Are your kids ready to spell some z words? Try some of these interactive, sensory spelling activities!

6. Learn a Letter Z Song – Do your kids respond really well to music? Most kids do. Why not listen to a song about letter z to help them learn the letter as well as words that use the letter z.

7. Words from Letter Z Video – Looking for a video that shows words using the letter z? Check out this video that teaches some vocabulary words from the letter z.

8. Play Some Word-Related Board Games –  word-related board games include games like Scrabble, Scattergories, and Boggle. These types of games are great for upper elementary students to use the z words they have been learning.

9. Write a Z Word Poem – Poems can be so fun for kids to create. Try an acrostic poem using a word that begins with z or perhaps an alphabet poem? (Check out these 7 types of poetry for kids, to generate some more ideas.)

10. Have a Word Wall for Your Z Words –While word walls are common for sight words, you can make word walls for any group of words, including Z words. Once you get your z word wall in place, you can try a variety of word wall activities with your new z words.

FREE Letter Z Learning Pack 

Interested in a free Letter Z Learning Pack? This practice pack includes letter z tracing cards, handwriting practice for letter z in both print and cursive, a word vocabulary list (print and cursive), along with an ultimate list of z words for kids. All you have to do is sign in with Grow for this exclusive content!

Get it Now!

More Words for Kids Resources:

Did you enjoy this Z words for Kids resource? There’s more! Whether you are doing preschool at home or working with a classroom of students, you can use these words for kids resources along with the free learn packs that come along with each one.

• Y Words for Kids
• G Words for Kids
• Q Words for Kids
• X Words for Kids

What are you favorite Z words for kids?

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.