Words Ending in EZ: Short, Sharp, and Borrowed
The -EZ ending in English is almost entirely borrowed territory. FEZ (the red cylindrical hat with a tassel, named after the Moroccan city Fez) is the anchor word. CHEZ means "at the home of" in French — you'll see it on restaurant signs everywhere. LEZ is informal for lesbian. PREZ is slang for president. GEEZ and JEEZ are mild exclamations. OYEZ is the court crier's call for attention, from the Anglo-French word meaning "hear ye" — and it's pronounced "oh-YAY" or "oh-YES," not "oh-YEZ."
Every word in this group is short — three or four letters — which makes them perfect for tight Scrabble situations. FEZ scores 15 points (that Z is worth 10), and PREZ hits 16 points. GEEZ at 15 points is another strong Z-play. In crosswords, FEZ is a favorite three-letter fill word with clues like "Turkish cap" or "red tassel topper." OYEZ appears in legal-themed puzzles constantly. For word game players who struggle with the Z tile, this is a pattern worth memorizing — every -EZ word is short and high-scoring. Pair this knowledge with words ending in X for similar short, high-value plays. See also words starting with EX for words that use another tricky letter combination, and words ending in QUE for more French borrowings in English.
FAQ
Is OYEZ really pronounced "oh-YAY"?
Yes — OYEZ comes from Anglo-French and the Z is silent or pronounced as an S. Court criers traditionally called "Oyez, oyez, oyez!" to open proceedings, and the pronunciation has stayed French. In Scrabble, pronunciation doesn't matter for validity — only spelling counts. OYEZ scores 16 points. For more legal and formal vocabulary, explore words starting with JE.
What's the best way to use the Z tile in Scrabble?
Short words are your friend: ZA (11 pts), ZO (11 pts), FEZ (15 pts), PREZ (16 pts), LEZ (12 pts). Place the Z on a premium square whenever possible — a Z on a triple-letter score is worth 30 points by itself. Don't hold the Z too long hoping for a longer word. See words ending in EX for X-tile strategies that follow the same logic.