6-letter words with A as the 1st letter and Z as the 2nd letter

Only 18 tournament-dictionary words fit this six-letter pattern, and none is classed among the common English words. The set is unusually score-heavy: its average tile score is 16.4, while AZYMES leads at 20. Collins accepts all 18; NWL2023 includes 14 and ENABLE includes 13, so a word accepted in one game may fail another.

The AZ pattern at a glance

• Exactly 18 tournament-dictionary words start AZ and contain six letters.
• Ten of the 18 end in S; no other final letter appears as often.
• AZYMES scores 20 points, the highest score for this pattern.
• Collins includes all 18 words, compared with 14 in NWL2023 and 13 in ENABLE.
• Twelve matches have definitions, but none ranks among common English words.

Which AZ words score highest?

AZYMES tops the score list at 20 points; AZYGOS and AZUKIS follow at 19 each. AZERTY and AZOTHS score 18. Those values make the rare AZ opening more than a pattern clue: it also creates high-scoring options when the word fits your rack.

For a quick search, keep AZ fixed and check the final letters next. S is the strongest ending, appearing in 10 of the 18 words; A and C each appear twice.

AZIDES and AZURES are easier to recognize than AZYMES, but they score less. The average score across the set is 16.4.

How to use these AZ six-letter words

Start with the fixed AZ pair, then compare the remaining letters against your rack or board. AZALEA, AZIDES, and AZURES offer more familiar-looking options; AZONAL, AZONIC, and AZOTIC are also among the matches. The uncommon entries make the set a poor source of everyday vocabulary.

Dictionary coverage is the key limitation: Collins lists 18 matches, while NWL2023 lists 14 and ENABLE lists 13. Check the word list for your game before committing to a less familiar choice. The same pattern has 17 five-letter matches and 15 seven-letter matches, so changing the length slightly can open another set.