The wide-band-gap semiconductor BaZnOS adopts a high-symmetry modification of the SrZnO2 structure type and contains layers of vertex-linked ZnO2S2 tetrahedra, which represent a novel coordination environment for zinc in the solid state. BaZnOS: orthorhombic, space group Cmcm; a = 3.9619(2) angstrom, b = 12.8541(7) angstrom, c = 6.1175(4) angstrom, Z = 4. Diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy measurements reveal a direct band gap of 3.9(3) eV, consistent with the white color and the results of band structure calculations. The band gap is larger than those observed in ZnO and ZnS, consistent with the more ionic nature of BaZnOS. Attempts to dope this compound electronically have so far not proved possible.