Halloween Words That Start With Z
four Halloween words start with the letter Z: Zombie, Zap, Zigzag and Zipper. Halloween falls on October 31, and these are the words a preschooler actually meets on the night. Each one below has a short meaning, how many syllables it has, how to say it and a sentence to use it in, plus a free printable word list.
All four Halloween words that start with Z
Spooky Z words
- Zombie
- Zap
Other Z words you will hear at Halloween
These are not spooky words, but a child hears every one of them on Halloween night.
- Zigzag
- Zipper
| Word | What it means | Syllables | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zombie | A make-believe person who has come back from the dead. | 2 | ZOM-bee |
| Zap | To hit something with a flash of magic or light. | 1 | zap |
| Zigzag | A line that turns sharply from side to side. | 2 | ZIG-zag |
| Zipper | A fastener with two rows of teeth. | 2 | ZIP-er |
What each word means
Zombie
The stiff-armed walk is the whole costume, and children can do it before they can say the word. In a sentence: “The zombie walked with its arms straight out.”
Zap
A comic-book sound word, so it usually comes with a pointed finger. In a sentence: “The wizard zapped the door open.”
Zigzag
The shape of a jack-o-lantern's mouth, and easy for a child to draw and name. In a sentence: “The pumpkin had a zigzag mouth.”
Zipper
The part of a costume a child needs help with, every single year. In a sentence: “The zipper on his costume got stuck.”
Which Z words are hardest for a preschooler to say?
Zombie, Zap, Zigzag and Zipper each start with a single /z/ sound, so a three year old can usually copy them straight back. If your child is at the copying-back stage, start with Zombie.
How to use these Z words with preschoolers
Say it, then find it
Say the word out loud and stretch the first sound: zombie. Then ask your child to find something in the room that starts the same way. Hearing the sound and then finding it on something real ties the letter to something your child can already picture.
Sort the scary from the silly
Read the list together and let your child put each word in one of two piles: silly or spooky. There is no right answer, and the sorting is what makes them think about what the word actually means. It also gives you a gentle way to talk about being a little bit scared on purpose.
Draw it, then name it
Ask your child to draw one of the words and then tell you which one it is. Saying the word while looking at their own picture of it is what fixes the meaning.
Free printable: the Halloween Z word list
One page, A4, free to print with no sign-up. All four words in large type with a tick box beside each one, so a child can mark off the words they can read.
Word list
More on the letter Z
This page is one letter of Halloween words A to Z. For letter formation and tracing practice, see letter Z activities for preschoolers. For animal names beginning with the same letter, see animals that start with Z, and for the winter equivalent see Christmas words that start with Z.
Halloween words A to Z: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
← Halloween words that start with Y
Frequently asked questions
What Halloween words start with Z?
Zombie, Zap, Zigzag and Zipper. All four are listed above with a short meaning for each.
Which Halloween Z word is easiest for a preschooler?
Zombie. It is one syllable, the first sound is easy to stretch out, and most children have already seen one, which fixes the word far faster than a definition does.
How many syllables are in these Z words?
They run from one to two. Zap are single syllables, which is where to start.
How do I teach Halloween words without frightening my child?
Start with the silly ones and leave the spooky ones until they ask. A costume, a pumpkin and a bucket of candy are Halloween to a four year old. If a word does worry them, let them draw it and give it a friendly face, which takes the fear out of it faster than telling them not to worry.
What age are these words for?
Three to six. Younger children will recognize the words when you say them long before they can read them, which is the point of tracing rather than copying.
