7-letter words with S as the 1st letter and Z as the 3rd letter

The letter pattern is S?Z????: S opens each word, Z takes the third slot, and four letters remain open. Just one match ranks among the top 25,000 English words by frequency, so this is a specialist word-game pool, not everyday vocabulary. SIZABLE is the most familiar entry; most of its companions are much less common.

7-letter words with S first and Z third

• All 17 matches appear in Collins; NWL2023 includes 12, and ENABLE includes 10.
• SIZABLE is the sole match among the top 25,000 English words by frequency.
• Seven matches finish in S, including SIZZLES and SOZZLES.
• The average tile score is 20.2; SIZZLED and SOZZLED tie at 26.

Which S-and-Z words score highest?

SIZZLED and SOZZLED top the scoring list at 26 points apiece. Each has two Zs, worth 10 points each in standard Scrabble before board-square bonuses. SIZZLES, SIZZLER, and SOZZLES come next at 25, so repeated Zs dominate the top of this group.

After those Z-heavy spellings, SYZYGAL scores 23 and SIZABLY scores 21. SIZABLE and SAZERAC each earn 18, below the group average of 20.2. A familiar word is not automatically a big scorer here; the unusual double-Z forms carry more tile value.

Word endings are more varied than the top scorers suggest: seven of the 17 words end in S, while D and T appear twice each. C, E, L, M, and R occur once apiece. S is a useful final-letter check, but it will miss SIZABLE and SAZERAC.

How to use the S-and-Z letter pattern

• Mark the slots S?Z????; those two fixed letters leave four positions to solve from crossings.
• Check for another Z: SIZZLED, SIZZLES, and SIZZLER put one in the fourth slot too.
• Only SIZABLE is common by the frequency cutoff; the other 16 matches are specialist vocabulary.
• Coverage differs by dictionary: Collins has 17 matches, NWL2023 12, and ENABLE 10. Check your game's list before an unfamiliar play.