Some languages, like German, Finnish, or Turkish, are famous for their long words. English isn’t usually one of them, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have long words worth learning.
No, this article won’t feature the absolute longest word in English. That word alone would stretch across nearly fifty-seven pages—it’s the chemical name of the human protein titin, containing a staggering 189,819 letters. However, dictionaries still include plenty of impressively long words. Let’s take a moment to explore and appreciate some of them.
1. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- How many letters: 45
- Meaning: a lung disease caused by inhaling fine ash and dust
2. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
- How many letters: 35
- Meaning: the fear of long words
3. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- How many letters: 34
- Meaning: filler for when you have nothing to say
4. Eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious
- How many letters: 30
- Meaning: very good or very fine
5. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
- How many letters: 30
- Meaning: an inherited disorder that can cause symptoms including short stature, shortened bones, and obesity
6. Floccinaucinihilipilification
- How many letters: 29
- Meaning: the action of estimating something as worthless.
7. Antidisestablishmentarianism
- How many letters: 28
- Meaning: opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England.
8. Honorificabilitudinitatibus
- How many letters: 27
- Meaning: the state of being able to achieve honors
9. Psychoneuroendocrinological
- How many letters: 27
- Meaning: of or related to the study of the study of the relationship between psychology, the nervous system, and the endocrine system
10. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
- How many letters: 24
- Meaning: chemical compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine (also known as “HCFCs”)
11. Laryngotracheobronchitis
- How many letters: 24
- Meaning: a respiratory infection that leads to inflammation of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi
12. Thyroparathyroidectomy
- How many letters: 22
- Meaning: the surgical removal of the thyroid and parathyroid glands