Word
zed
US/ˈzɛd/
UK/zˈɛd/
Definition
n. the name for the letter Z in British English and many other countries. It is the same as the American 'zee'.
n. the standard name for the final letter of the alphabet in British, Canadian, and Australian English. Used to distinguish the character 'Z' from other letters during spelling or recitation.
Examples
“In London, the last letter of the alphabet is called zed.”
“When spelling his name over the phone, the travel agent clarified that the last letter was a zed, not a zee.”
“The phonetic difference between the British zed and the American zee serves as a common linguistic marker for identifying a speaker's regional educational background.”
Examples
simple
“In London, the last letter of the alphabet is called zed.”
contextual
“When spelling his name over the phone, the travel agent clarified that the last letter was a zed, not a zee.”
complex
“The phonetic difference between the British zed and the American zee serves as a common linguistic marker for identifying a speaker's regional educational background.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'from A to zed' to mean including everything.
Pitfall
The American alphabet ends with zed.
The American alphabet ends with zee.
Learners often forget that 'zed' is specific to British and Commonwealth English, while 'zee' is used in American English.