A fox (zorro in Spanish)

Over 50 Spanish Words That Start with Z (with Audio)

Z isn’t the most popular letter in Scrabble for good reason, but it actually comes up a fair amount in Spanish.

The pronunciation of it can be a little confusing though: In Latin America, Z sounds just like the S in English, but in Spain, Z sounds more like the English TH. This means that zorro (fox) sounds like “sorro” in Argentina, but “thorro” in Spain. 

Other than that distinction, the Z is pretty easy to say in Spanish. Read on to find out 50+ Spanish words that start with Z.

Contents

Spanish Nouns That Start with Z

Spanish Word (With Audio)English Word
Zacate Grass
Zafiro Sapphire
Zaguán Entrance hall
Zahúrda Pigsty
Zalea Sheepskin
Zamarra Jacket
Zanahoria Carrot
Zancada Stride
Zanja Ditch
Zanjar Settlement/Resolution
Zapato Shoe
Zarza Bramble
Zona Zone/Area
Zoo Zoo
Zapatero Shoemaker
Zarcillo Earring
Zorro Fox
Zozobra Anxiety
Zumbido Buzzing
Zumo Juice
Zurdo Left-handed person
Zurrón Pouch
Zócalo Pedestal
Zóster Shingles (medical condition)
Zumbador Hummingbird
Zureo Cooing
Zurra Sangria
Zuquillo Bruise
Zurriago Whip
Zurrona Woman with a hump
Zurronada Multitude of bites
Zurumbático Grumbling
Zuzaña Twitching
Zuzón Buzzard

To learn more about Spanish nouns, check out this post:

Spanish Verbs That Start with Z

Spanish Word (With Audio)English Word
Zampar To Gobble Up/To Devour
Zanjar To Settle/To Resolve
Zarandear To Shake/To Jolt
Zarpar To Set Sail
Zarpar To Leave/To Take Off
Zasquear To Slam/Shut With Force
Zincar To Galvanize
Zocar To Mislead/To Deceive
Zumbir To Buzz/To Hum

To learn more Spanish verbs, see this handy post:

And to see the words in this post used in context, you could check out the language learning platform FluentU.

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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Spanish Adjectives That Start with Z

Spanish Word (With Audio)English Word
Zafio Vulgar/Rude
Zalamero Smooth-Talking/Flattering
Zangolotino Restless/Fidgety
Zaragüelles Baggy
Zarco Bluish
Zarzoso Thorny
Zascandil Troublemaker/Rascal
Zumbón Sarcastic/Mocking

To get more information on Spanish adjectives and how to use them, see this post:

Spanish Adverbs That Start with Z

Spanish Word (With Audio)English Word
Zarandeando Shaking
Zarza Prickly
Zumbón Sarcastically

To learn about more Spanish adverbs, be sure to check out this post:

Spanish Z Words Quiz: Test Your Knowledge!

0%
What is the Spanish word for "fox"?
Correct! Wrong!

What does the verb "Zarandear" mean?
Correct! Wrong!

How do you say "to mislead" in Spanish?
Correct! Wrong!

If you were a sailor, which of these verbs might apply to you?
Correct! Wrong!

How do you say "vulgar" or "rude" in Spanish?
Correct! Wrong!

What is the Spanish word for "sapphire"?
Correct! Wrong!

What's Spanish for "hummingbird"?
Correct! Wrong!

Which of these is a way to say "blueish" in Spanish?
Correct! Wrong!

Which of these Spanish words is a food?
Correct! Wrong!

How do you say "anxiety" in Spanish?
Correct! Wrong!

 

So there you have it! The Z demystified in Spanish. Though it’s not super common, there are some everyday words like zanahoria (carrot) and zumo (juice) that start with this unusual letter.

And One More Thing…

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

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FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

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Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.

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Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

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The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Sign up now to take advantage of our current sale!

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