# zed

> English word · Noun · IPA /zɛd/ · frequency rank #28,438

## Definitions
1. The name of the Latin script letter Z/z.
2. Something Z-shaped.
3. Sleep.
4. A zombie.

## Etymology
From Middle English zed, zedde, zede, from Old French zede, from Late Latin zeta, from Ancient Greek ζῆτα (zêta), from Hebrew ז (zayin) with influence from βῆτα (bêta), ἦτα (êta) and θῆτα (thêta). The letter had a rare usage in Old English, such as in bezt, where it represented "ts" (compare the German, Italian, and Finnish pronunciation of Z). For the sleep sense, see zzz. The zombie sense comes from the initial letter. Doublet of zeta. Cognate to Spanish zeta, German Zett, French zède, Italian zeta, and perhaps Portuguese zê.

## Easily confused with
- **Zo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zo)
- **zoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zoo)
- **zip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zip)
- **Zen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zen)
- **Zoe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zoe)
- **zee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zee)
- **zhu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zhu)
- **zig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zig)
- **Zia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zia)
- **Zim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zim)
- **zero** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zero)
- **Zeus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zeus)
- **Zeke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zeke)
- **zest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zest)
- **zeta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zeta)
- **Zhen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zhen)
- **Zeno** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zeno)
- **Zelda** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zelda)
- **zoned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zoned)
- **z** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/z-vs-zed)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/zed