ZED Endings: When English Gets Americanized (or Doesn't)
Words ending in -ZED are overwhelmingly past tenses of -ZE verbs: AMAZED, BLAZED, BREEZED, BUZZED, DOZED, FROZEN...wait, not FROZEN. That's the catch with -ZED — it only applies to verbs that end in -ZE, and there are more of those than you'd think. ORGANIZE→ORGANIZED, CUSTOMIZE→CUSTOMIZED, RECOGNIZE→RECOGNIZED, FERTILIZE→FERTILIZED. The -IZE/-ISE spelling split between American and British English means -IZED words are mostly American spellings, while British English prefers -ISED. Scrabble accepts both.
ZED is also a word on its own — it's the British/Canadian/Australian name for the letter Z (Americans say "zee"). In Scrabble, ZED scores 13 points and its plural ZEDS scores 14. The -ZED ending is particularly valuable because Z is worth 10 points, and past tenses are often the only way to play a Z tile productively. AMAZED (18 points), BRAZED (18 points), and BLAZED (18 points) all put that Z to work in the middle of common words rather than requiring Z at a word edge.
Tip for crossword solvers: if a clue uses past tense and the answer grid shows a Z near the end, -ZED is almost certainly your suffix. Work backward from there. For the broader Z word family, see words starting with Z, and for more -ED past tense patterns, check words ending in TION where many -ZED verbs have related noun forms (ORGANIZE→ORGANIZATION). words starting with ZA has useful Z-openers like ZAP and ZEAL.
FAQ
Do Scrabble dictionaries accept both -IZED and -ISED spellings?
SOWPODS (international) accepts both. TWL (North American) generally prefers -IZED but accepts many -ISED variants too. When in doubt, play -IZED — it's accepted everywhere. ORGANIZED, CUSTOMIZED, and AUTHORIZED are all valid regardless of dictionary. For more spelling variation questions, explore words ending in L where British/American differences also appear.
Why is the letter Z called ZED in British English but ZEE in American?
ZED comes from the Greek letter ZETA through French. American English shifted to ZEE in the 1800s, probably to rhyme with BEE, CEE, DEE — making the alphabet song scan better. Canada, Australia, and the UK kept ZED. Both ZED and ZEE are valid Scrabble words. For more on Z usage, check words starting with Z.
Three-Letter Words (1)
ZED
Five-Letter Words (12)
ADZEDDAZEDDOZEDFAZEDFUZEDGAZEDHAZEDLAZEDMAZEDOOZEDRAZEDSIZED
Six-Letter Words (22)
AMAZEDBLAZEDBOOZEDBRAZEDBUZZEDCRAZEDFEAZEDFEEZEDFEZZEDFIZZEDFRIZEDFUTZEDFUZZEDGLAZEDGLOZEDGRAZEDHEEZEDJAZZEDPRIZEDPUTZEDRAZZEDSEIZED
Seven-Letter Words (25)
AGNIZEDBEGAZEDBLITZEDBLOWZEDBREEZEDBRONZEDDEFUZEDFRIZZEDGLITZEDIODIZEDIONIZEDPLOTZEDQUIZZEDRESIZEDSNEEZEDSNOOZEDTWEEZEDUNFAZEDUNRAZEDUNSIZEDUPGAZEDUPSIZEDWALTZEDWHEEZEDWHIZZED
Eight-Letter Words (54)
AGATIZEDAGENIZEDAGONIZEDANALYZEDANODIZEDAPPRIZEDARABIZEDATOMIZEDAZOTIZEDBAPTIZEDBROMIZEDCAPSIZEDCOGNIZEDCYCLIZEDDEGLAZEDDIALYZEDDUALIZEDEBONIZEDELEGIZEDEMBLAZEDEROTIZEDGRECIZEDHEROIZEDIDOLIZEDIMBLAZEDIRONIZEDITEMIZEDKIBITZEDKYANIZEDLAICIZEDLIONIZEDMIDSIZEDOBELIZEDODORIZEDOUTGAZEDOUTSIZEDOXIDIZEDOZONIZEDPECTIZEDPEPTIZEDPOETIZEDREALIZEDREGLAZEDRESEIZEDSHMOOZEDSPRITZEDSQUEEZEDSTYLIZEDUNAMAZEDUNGLAZEDUNITIZEDUNPRIZEDUNSEIZEDUTILIZED
Nine-Letter Words (131)
ACTIVIZEDALKALIZEDAMORTIZEDAPHORIZEDARBORIZEDARCHAIZEDATTICIZEDAUTOLYZEDAVIANIZEDBANALIZEDBOTANIZEDBULLDOZEDCALORIZEDCANALIZEDCANONIZEDCAPONIZEDCATALYZEDCHROMIZEDCIVILIZEDCOLONIZEDCOLORIZEDCOMPRIZEDCREOLIZEDCURARIZEDCUTINIZEDDEIONIZEDDEMONIZEDDEPUTIZEDDIGITIZEDDIMERIZEDDISPRIZEDDISSEIZEDDIVINIZEDDOWNSIZEDENERGIZEDEQUALIZEDERGOTIZEDETERNIZEDETHERIZEDETHICIZEDEULOGIZEDEXORCIZEDFARADIZEDFEMINIZEDFIBERIZEDFINALIZEDFLUIDIZEDFOCALIZEDFRANCIZEDGRAECIZEDHEBRAIZEDHEMOLYZEDHEPATIZEDHOMINIZEDHUMANIZEDIDEALIZEDIMMUNIZEDJAPANIZEDJAROVIZEDKIBBITZEDLATERIZEDLATINIZEDLEGALIZEDLOCALIZEDLOGICIZEDLYRICIZEDMADERIZEDMAXIMIZEDMELANIZEDMELODIZEDMEMORIZEDMETALIZEDMINIMIZEDMISPRIZEDMOBILIZEDMONETIZEDMORALIZEDMOTORIZEDNASALIZEDNEBULIZEDNONGLAZEDNOTARIZEDNOVELIZEDOPSONIZEDOPTIMIZEDORGANIZEDOUTBLAZEDOVERSIZEDPAGANIZEDPANELIZEDPARALYZEDPATINIZEDPEARLIZEDPENALIZEDPINTSIZEDPOLARIZEDPOLEMIZEDPYROLIZEDPYROLYZEDQUANTIZED
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Ten-Letter Words (190)
ACTUALIZEDADVERTIZEDALCHEMIZEDALUMINIZEDANALOGIZEDANATOMIZEDANGLICIZEDANIMALIZEDANNUALIZEDAPOLOGIZEDARABICIZEDAROMATIZEDAUTHORIZEDBACTERIZEDBALKANIZEDBARBARIZEDBRUTALIZEDCAPSULIZEDCARBOLIZEDCARBONIZEDCARBURIZEDCARTELIZEDCATECHIZEDCAUTERIZEDCICATRIZEDCLIMATIZEDCLITICIZEDCOCAINIZEDCOMMUNIZEDCRITICIZEDCUSTOMIZEDDEAMINIZEDDEODORIZEDDEOXIDIZEDDIABOLIZEDDIAZOTIZEDDIESELIZEDDOGMATIZEDDOLLARIZEDDRAMATIZEDECONOMIZEDEMBLEMIZEDEMPATHIZEDEMPHASIZEDEPITOMIZEDEPOXIDIZEDEROTICIZEDEUPHEMIZEDEUPHONIZEDEUTHANIZEDEXPERTIZEDFACTORIZEDFANTASIZEDFERTILIZEDFETISHIZEDFEUDALIZEDFORMALIZEDFORMULIZEDFOSSILIZEDGALLICIZEDGALVANIZEDGENDERIZEDGEOLOGIZEDGERMANIZEDGHETTOIZEDGLAMORIZEDGLOBALIZEDGORGONIZEDGOTHICIZEDHARMONIZEDHELLENIZEDHEROICIZEDHYBRIDIZEDHYDROLYZEDHYPNOTIZEDISOMERIZEDITALICIZEDJARGONIZEDLABIALIZEDLEGENDIZEDLEMMATIZEDLINEARIZEDLIQUIDIZEDLUTEINIZEDMAGNETIZEDMARBELIZEDMARBLEIZEDMARTYRIZEDMATRONIZEDMECHANIZEDMEDIATIZEDMERCERIZEDMESMERIZEDMETALLIZEDMETHODIZEDMETRICIZEDMICRONIZEDMIRANDIZEDMODERNIZEDMUTUALIZED
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Eleven-Letter Words (155)
ABSOLUTIZEDADRENALIZEDAEROBICIZEDAEROSOLIZEDAGGRANDIZEDALKALINIZEDALLEGORIZEDANTAGONIZEDAPOSTATIZEDAUTOMATIZEDAUTOTOMIZEDAXIOMATIZEDBASTARDIZEDBESTIALIZEDBIPOLARIZEDBITUMINIZEDBOLSHEVIZEDBOWDLERIZEDBURGLARIZEDCAPITALIZEDCARAMELIZEDCATABOLIZEDCATEGORIZEDCENTRALIZEDCHANNELIZEDCINEMATIZEDCLASSICIZEDCONCERTIZEDCONCRETIZEDCRYSTALIZEDDECIMALIZEDDECOLONIZEDDECOLORIZEDDEFEMINIZEDDEFINITIZEDDEHUMANIZEDDELOCALIZEDDEMOBILIZEDDEMONETIZEDDEMORALIZEDDEPOLARIZEDDERIVATIZEDDESALINIZEDDEVITALIZEDDEVOCALIZEDDIGITALIZEDDOLOMITIZEDELASTICIZEDEPITHELIZEDETERNALIZEDEVANGELIZEDFANATICIZEDFEDERALIZEDFICTIONIZEDFRATERNIZEDGELATINIZEDGENERALIZEDGEOMETRIZEDGLAMOURIZEDGORMANDIZEDGRAPHITIZEDGRECIANIZEDHEATHENIZEDHEPARINIZEDHOMOGENIZEDHOMOLOGIZEDIDEOLOGIZEDILLEGALIZEDIMMOBILIZEDINDIGENIZEDINITIALIZEDITALIANIZEDJEOPARDIZEDJOURNALIZEDKERATINIZEDLATERALIZEDLEGITIMIZEDLEXICALIZEDLIBERALIZEDLITERALIZEDLOBOTOMIZEDLYOPHILIZEDLYSOGENIZEDMACADAMIZEDMETABOLIZEDMILITARIZEDMINERALIZEDMISSIONIZEDMODULARIZEDMOISTURIZEDMONGRELIZEDMONOPOLIZEDMUSICALIZEDNATURALIZEDNEUTRALIZEDPALATALIZEDPARASITIZEDPASTEURIZEDPLAGIARIZEDPLASMOLYZED
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Twelve-Letter Words (118)
ACCESSORIZEDACCLIMATIZEDACHROMATIZEDALPHABETIZEDANESTHETIZEDANTHOLOGIZEDAPOTHEOSIZEDCANNIBALIZEDCATHETERIZEDCATHOLICIZEDCIRCULARIZEDCIVILIANIZEDCOLONIALIZEDCOMMUNALIZEDCOMPUTERIZEDCONVEYORIZEDCOSMETICIZEDCRIMINALIZEDCRYSTALLIZEDDECARBONIZEDDECARBURIZEDDEFORMALIZEDDEGLAMORIZEDDEMAGNETIZEDDEMOCRATIZEDDESACRALIZEDDESENSITIZEDDESEXUALIZEDDESTABILIZEDDESULFURIZEDDETRIBALIZEDDIAGONALIZEDDICHOTOMIZEDDISORGANIZEDELECTROLYZEDEMBLEMATIZEDETHEREALIZEDETYMOLOGIZEDEUTHANATIZEDEXTEMPORIZEDEXTERIORIZEDEXTERNALIZEDFAMILIARIZEDFORMULARIZEDFRAGMENTIZEDGOURMANDIZEDHIERARCHIZEDHISTORICIZEDHOSPITALIZEDHYPERBOLIZEDHYPOSTATIZEDHYPOTHESIZEDIMMORTALIZEDINCENTIVIZEDINFANTILIZEDINTERIORIZEDINTERNALIZEDMARGINALIZEDMASCULINIZEDMATERIALIZEDMATHEMATIZEDMEMORIALIZEDMERCHANDIZEDMETASTASIZEDMINIATURIZEDMYTHOLOGIZEDNATIONALIZEDNONMOTORIZEDNONUNIONIZEDORIENTALIZEDOUTORGANIZEDOVERANALYZEDOVERUTILIZEDPARAMETRIZEDPARFOCALIZEDPERSONALIZEDPHAGOCYTIZEDPHOSPHATIZEDPHOTOIONIZEDPROSELYTIZEDPRUSSIANIZEDRATIONALIZEDREAUTHORIZEDREEMPHASIZEDREGIONALIZEDREHYPNOTIZEDREPRIVATIZEDRESENSITIZEDRESOCIALIZEDRESTABILIZEDROMANTICIZEDSCHISMATIZEDSINGULARIZEDSKELETONIZEDSOLILOQUIZEDSTANDARDIZEDSUBOPTIMIZEDSUBURBANIZEDSUBVOCALIZEDSYNCHRONIZED
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Thirteen-Letter Words (66)
AESTHETICIZEDANATHEMATIZEDAPOSTROPHIZEDATTITUDINIZEDCHARACTERIZEDCOLLECTIVIZEDCONSERVATIZEDCONTAINERIZEDCONTEMPORIZEDCOPOLYMERIZEDDECENTRALIZEDDEMILITARIZEDDEMINERALIZEDDENATURALIZEDDENUCLEARIZEDDEPOLITICIZEDDEPOLYMERIZEDDEPRESSURIZEDDIPHTHONGIZEDDISHARMONIZEDEDITORIALIZEDEMOTIONALIZEDESSENTIALIZEDFICTIONALIZEDINSOLUBILIZEDLEGITIMATIZEDMISEMPHASIZEDMUNICIPALIZEDNONSUBSIDIZEDOVERCIVILIZEDOVERIDEALIZEDOVERORGANIZEDPARAMETERIZEDPARENTHESIZEDPHILOSOPHIZEDPHOTOOXIDIZEDPICTORIALIZEDPOLITICALIZEDPORCELAINIZEDPRESTERILIZEDPROPAGANDIZEDPSYCHOLOGIZEDRECAPITALIZEDREFLECTORIZEDREMILITARIZEDREPOPULARIZEDREPRESSURIZEDRESYNTHESIZEDSECTARIANIZEDSEMICIVILIZEDSPIRITUALIZEDSUBJECTIVIZEDTECHNICALIZEDTECHNOLOGIZEDTHYMECTOMIZEDTRANQUILLIZEDUNBOWDLERIZEDUNCAPITALIZEDUNDERUTILIZEDUNHOMOGENIZEDUNIVERSALIZEDUNMETABOLIZEDUNPARASITIZEDUNPASTEURIZEDUNPRESSURIZEDUNSPECIALIZED
Fourteen-Letter Words (65)
ANAGRAMMATIZEDBUREAUCRATIZEDCOLLATERALIZEDCOMMERCIALIZEDCONCEPTUALIZEDCONTEXTUALIZEDDECRIMINALIZEDDEMATERIALIZEDDEMYTHOLOGIZEDDENATIONALIZEDDEPERSONALIZEDEPIGRAMMATIZEDEPITHELIALIZEDFRACTIONALIZEDGONADECTOMIZEDHEPATECTOMIZEDHYPERCIVILIZEDHYPERIMMUNIZEDHYPERPOLARIZEDHYPOSENSITIZEDIMMATERIALIZEDIMPERSONALIZEDINDIVIDUALIZEDINDUSTRIALIZEDMELODRAMATIZEDMONUMENTALIZEDNEPHRECTOMIZEDOCCIDENTALIZEDORTHOGONALIZEDOVARIECTOMIZEDOVERDRAMATIZEDOVEREMPHASIZEDOVERFERTILIZEDOVERGLAMORIZEDPARTICULARIZEDPLATITUDINIZEDPROVINCIALIZEDPSYCHOANALYZEDREACCLIMATIZEDRECRYSTALLIZEDREHOSPITALIZEDREMATERIALIZEDREMYTHOLOGIZEDRENATIONALIZEDREPUBLICANIZEDRESYSTEMATIZEDREVOLUTIONIZEDSPLENECTOMIZEDSTRUCTURALIZEDSUBCATEGORIZEDSUBSPECIALIZEDSUBSTANTIVIZEDSUPERCIVILIZEDTHEATRICALIZEDTRANSISTORIZEDULTRACIVILIZEDUNACCLIMATIZEDUNANESTHETIZEDUNCOMPUTERIZEDUNCRYSTALLIZEDUNROMANTICIZEDUNSTANDARDIZEDUNSYNCHRONIZEDUNSYSTEMATIZEDVENTRILOQUIZED
Fifteen-Letter Words (22)
DESPIRITUALIZEDHYPERSENSITIZEDHYSTERECTOMIZEDLARYNGECTOMIZEDNONCOMPUTERIZEDNONHOSPITALIZEDOVERCAPITALIZEDOVERCENTRALIZEDOVERGENERALIZEDOVERHOMOGENIZEDOVERSPECIALIZEDPHOTOSENSITIZEDPINEALECTOMIZEDPROLETARIANIZEDRESPIRITUALIZEDSENSATIONALIZEDSENTIMENTALIZEDTERRITORIALIZEDTRADITIONALIZEDTRANSPARENTIZEDUNDEREMPHASIZEDUNDERPUBLICIZED