z

See also: Appendix:Variations of "z"

z	U+007A, z LATIN SMALL LETTER Z

← y
[U+0079]

Basic Latin

{ →
[U+007B]

ｚ	U+FF5A, ｚ FULLWIDTH LATIN SMALL LETTER Z

← ｙ
[U+FF59]

Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms

｛ →
[U+FF5B]

Translingual

Pronunciation

IPA (file)

Letter

z (upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

Symbol

z

(metrology) Symbol for the prefix zepto-.
(astronomy) Symbol for the redshift.
(mathematics) Used to denote a real variable when x and y are already in use.
$f\left(x,y,z\right)=\sin x+\cos y+\tan z$
(mathematics) Used to denote the third coordinate in three-dimensional Cartesian and cylindrical coordinate systems.
$x^{2}+y^{2}+z^{2}=1$
(mathematics) Used to denote a complex variable.
$\left\Vert z\right\Vert =z\cdot {\bar z}$
(statistics) Used to denote a value of a standard normal random variable.
$P[Z>z]=1-P[Z<z]=1-\Phi (z)$
(analytic geometry, classical mechanics) Quantity along the third axis in a three-dimensional system, vertical when applicable.
(chemistry) Symbol for atomic number.
(IPA) voiced alveolar fricative

Derived terms

Prefix zepto-

zkg
zm

zmol
zs

zBq
zC
zF
zGy
zH
zHz
zJ

zS
zSv
zsr
zT
zV
zW
zWb

Gallery

Letter styles
Capital and lowercase versions of Z, in normal and italic type
Uppercase and lowercase Z in Fraktur

English

Pronunciation

Letter name

(UK) IPA^(key): /zɛd/
Audio (UK) (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /ziː/
Audio (US) (file)

Phoneme

IPA^(key): /z/

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z, plural z's)

The twenty-sixth letter of the English alphabet, called zed or zee and written in the Latin script.

Azerbaijani

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /z/

Letter

z lower case (upper case Z)

The thirty-second letter of the Azerbaijani alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Cimbrian

Article

z

the (neuter singular definite article)

References

Umberto Patuzzi, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar, Luserna: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien.

Czech

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /z/
Audio (file)

Preposition

z

from
Toto víno pochází z Francie. -- This wine comes from France.
out of
Pět z deseti doktorů doporučuje tuto zubní pastu.
Five out of ten doctors recommend this toothpaste.

Usage notes

This preposition is followed by the genitive case.

Synonyms

ze

Dutch

Pronunciation

Audio (file)
Rhymes: -ɛt
(letter name): IPA^(key): /zɛt/

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Egyptian

Pronunciation

(modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /zɛ/, /zɑ/
- Conventional anglicization: ze, za

Noun

m

A door bolt of wood or copper [since the Pyramid Texts]

Inflection

Declension of z (masculine)

singular	z
dual	zwj
plural	zw

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of z

[Old Kingdom]

[New Kingdom]

[Late Period]

Noun

m

man (male person) [since the Old Kingdom]
someone, anyone

Usage notes

This word can be placed after a type of person and before a number to indicate that many prisoners of that type were taken.

Inflection

Declension of z (masculine)

singular	z
dual	zwj
plural	zw

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of z

z

s

sj

sꜣ

[Old Kingdom]

[since the Middle Kingdom]

[since the 19th Dynasty]

[Late Period]

[Greco-Roman Period]

Derived terms

z-n-wsrt

Descendants

Coptic: ⲥⲁ- (sa-)

Noun

m

being, creature (used of a snake) [Pyramid Texts]

Inflection

Declension of z (masculine)

singular	z
dual	zwj
plural	zw

Noun

m

A type of fish [22nd dynasty]

Inflection

Declension of z (masculine)

singular	z
dual	zwj
plural	zw

References

Erman, Adolf; Grapow, Hermann (1926-1961) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN

Esperanto

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /zo/
Audio (file)

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-eighth letter of the Esperanto alphabet, called zo and written in the Latin script.

Ido

Pronunciation

(context pronunciation) IPA^(key): /z/
(letter name) IPA^(key): /ze/

Letter

z (upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Italian

Noun

z m, f (invariable)

See under Z

Latin

Etymology

The minuscule form derives from the majuscule Z.

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-third letter of the Classical Latin alphabet, called zēta.

References

z in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
z in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

Latvian

Etymology

Proposed in 1908 as part of the new Latvian spelling by the scientific commission headed by K. Mīlenbahs, which was accepted and began to be taught in schools in 1909. Prior to that, Latvian had been written in German Fraktur, and sporadically in Cyrillic.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [z]

Letter

Z

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The thirty-second letter of the Latvian alphabet, called zē and written in the Latin script.

Livonian

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /z/

Letter

z (upper case Z)

The thirty-eighth letter of the Livonian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Lower Sorbian

Alternative forms

ze (used before sibilants and certain consonant clusters)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /z/, (before a voiceless consonant) /s/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *jьz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs

Preposition

z (with genitive)

from, out of

Etymology 2

From Proto-Slavic *sъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom

Preposition

z (with instrumental)

with

Stej bratš ze sotšu. ― They are brother and sister
(lit. ‘brother with sister’).

Malay

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Norwegian

Pronunciation

(letter name): IPA^(key): /set/, /sɛt/
(phoneme): IPA^(key): /s/, /ʃ/

Letter

z

The twenty-sixth letter of the Norwegian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

Not used in Norwegian, only appears in loanwords from e.g. Slavic.
Used interchangeably with s in Internet slang and informal writing.

Polish

Alternative forms

ze

Pronunciation

(isolated) IPA^(key): /z/, /s/
Audio (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *jьz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs

Preposition

z (+ genitive)

from

Jestem z Polski.
I'm from Poland.
out of

jeden z dziesięciu ― one out of ten
made of

motyka z drewna ― a hoe made of wood
at

Jesteś z przodu czy z tyłu?
Are you at the front or at the back?

Etymology 2

From Proto-Slavic *sъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom

Preposition

z (+ instrumental)

with

Usage notes

As a rule of thumb the preposition z should be changed to ze when the pronunciation of the two consecutive words becomes problematic. Some dictionaries claim that this rule applies to the words starting with one of the following consonants: s, z, ś, ź, ż, rz, sz that are followed by another consonant. ^[1] Examples include:

Ten pręt jest z żelaza.
This rod is made of iron.

Ten pręt jest ze stali.
This rod is made of steel.

Pochodzę z Francji.
I come from France.

Pochodzę ze Szwecji.
I come from Sweden.

References

↑ Wielki słownik poprawnej polszczyzny. Keyword "z".

Portuguese

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Romanian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ze/, /zet/

Letter

z (lowercase, capital Z)

The twenty-eighth letter of the Romanian alphabet, called ze, zet, zed, or zî and written in the Latin script.

Sani

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /z̊³³/

Noun

z (transliteration needed)

water

References

Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area, volumes 26-27 (2003, Department of Linguistics, University of California), page 74
Huang Bufan (editor), Xu Shouchun, Chen Jiaying, Wan Huiyin, A Tibeto-Burman Lexicon (1992; Central Minorities University, Beijing) (has z̊³³)

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

(uppercase) Z

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /z/

Preposition

z (Cyrillic spelling з)

(Kajkavian, Chakavian, Croatia) (+ instrumental case) with
- 1501, Marko Marulić, Judita
  požgat su pritili sela naša stane,
  
  žene z dicom htili vest u svoje strane,
  
  inim dati rane, svih smrtno sikući;
- 1622, Ivan Gundulić, Suze sina razmetnoga
  od svjetlosti zrak otvori,
  
  i ostaše razlučene,
  
  z bielim danom noćne sjene:
- 1927, Dragutin Domjanić, Kaj
  I srce mi greje
  
  I z menom se smeje
  
  I v žalosti plače takaj.

(Kajkavian) (+ genitive case) from, out of
- 1927, Dragutin Domjanić, Kaj vrt si senja
  Oblaček po nebu
  
  Si stiha putuje,
  
  A z trave još samo
  
  Šćurica se čuje.

Synonyms

iz, s, sa, š

Letter

z (Cyrillic spelling з)

The 29th letter of the Serbo-Croatian Latin alphabet (gajica), preceded by v and followed by ž.

Skolt Sami

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /z/

Letter

z (upper case Z)

The thirty-third letter of the Skolt Sami alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Slovak

Alternative forms

zo (see usage notes)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈz/

Preposition

z

from

Usage notes

The zo form is used when the following word starts with the letter z, ž, s, š and certain consonant clusters.

Slovene

Etymology 1

See Translingual section.

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /z/, word-finally /s/
(phoneme) Tonal orthography: z

Letter

z

The twenty-fourth letter of the Slovene alphabet, written in the Latin script. Preceded by v and followed by ž.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Slavic *sъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom.

Alternative forms

(before a voiceless consonant) s

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /z/
Tonal orthography: z

Preposition

z

(with instrumental) with, by means of, using
(with instrumental) (together) with, in the company of
This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Spanish

Pronunciation

(letter name):
- (Castilian) IPA^(key): /ˈθeta/, [ˈθet̪a]

(Latin America) IPA^(key): /ˈseta/, [ˈset̪a]
- Audio (Spain) (file)
(phoneme): IPA^(key): /s/, /θ/

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-seventh letter of the Spanish alphabet, called zeta and written in the Latin script.

Swedish

Pronunciation

Letter name

IPA^(key): /ˈsɛːta/

Phoneme

IPA^(key): /s/

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Swedish alphabet, called säta or zäta and written in the Latin script.

Turkish

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-ninth letter of the Turkish alphabet, called ze and written in the Latin script.

Turkmen

Pronunciation

(phoneme) IPA^(key): /ð/, /z/

Letter

z (upper case Z)

The thirtieth letter of the Turkmen alphabet, called ze and written in the Latin script.

Zulu

Letter

z (lower case, upper case Z)

The twenty-sixth letter of the Zulu alphabet, written in the Latin script.