7-letter words with D as the 1st letter and Z as the 5th letter

This pattern leaves five open letter slots around a fixed D and Z: D _ _ _ Z _ _. Only one match ranks among the 25,000 most frequent English words, so expect an unusual set rather than a list of everyday guesses. The standout is DRIZZLY, which leads the scoring table; DRIZZLE is its close companion.

7-letter words with D first and Z fifth

• Ten tournament-dictionary entries match D _ _ _ Z _ _.
• Collins lists all 10 matches; NWL2023 lists 8, and ENABLE lists 7.
• DRIZZLY scores 29 points, the highest total in the group.
• DRIZZLE follows at 26 points, three behind DRIZZLY.
• Only 1 match falls within the top 25,000 English words by frequency.

Which matches score highest in Scrabble?

DRIZZLY leads at 29 points, with DRIZZLE next at 26. Their shared opening, D-R-I-Z-Z, concentrates the valuable Z tiles, and the final Y gives the 29-pointer its three-point edge. Those two Z tiles are worth 10 points each, so they supply 20 of the 29.

DEFUZED scores 21, while DEFUZES earns 20. DAMOZEL reaches 19, and DORIZED scores 18. DENIZEN, DANAZOL, DEUTZIA, and DORIZES each score 17, so several less familiar choices still beat the average score of 20.1.

The top score comes mostly from the double Z in the DRIZZ- forms, while DENIZEN, DANAZOL and DEUTZIA each reach 17 with a single Z.

How should you use the fixed letters?

• Place D first and Z fifth before testing the remaining letters; that exact skeleton narrows the search to 10 matches.
• Try DRIZZLE and DRIZZLY together: they share six letters and differ only in the final tile.
• Use DEFUZED and DEFUZES as another near-pair, with the final D or S changing the score by one.
• Endings are spread thin: D, L and S each close two words, while A, E, N and Y close one apiece.
• Most entries are uncommon, and dictionary coverage varies; check your game's word list before playing a candidate.