We have two news and one warning for you today.
- There are people in the world who have a phobia of long words.
- This state is called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – one of the longest words in the English language.
- We don’t recommend this article if Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is no news to you. Better study some safer topics – read about plagiarised songs, ethical aspects of learning, or Chat GPT checker in our blog!
For those who are ready to meet the longest words in English, we introduce the first one, which length can make a book, as it contains 189,819 letters! The attempts to pronounce this word (methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylalanyl…isoleucine) take 2-3,5 hours. Luckily, hardly anyone ever had a need to say it, as the term is strictly technical. It means the chemical composition of titin, the largest known protein, and the word is not even included in the dictionaries.
Another technical term consisting of 1,909 letters became luckier than the one mentioned above. While experts still argue if that composition of titin is even a word, methionylglutaminylarginyltyrosylglutamyl…serine (yes, another chemical term!) has become the longest English word ever published – not in the dictionary, but still.
One more nominee, lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsano…pterygon, containing 183 letters, was also rejected by the dictionaries but made it to the Guinness World Record book instead! The name of the fictional dish originating from Aristophanes’ comedy, transliterated from Ancient Greek, has become the longest word ever appearing in literature.
On to the top-10 dictionary-recognized longest words, then!
1. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis – 45 letters
This word is a medical term meaning “a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust” and can be a contextual synonym for silicosis. Though listed as the longest word in a major dictionary, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis was invented in 1935 by the then-president of the National Puzzlers’ League, Everett M. Smith, and is not used in communication (not surprising, is it?)
2. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – 34 letters
The nonsense word meaning “extremely good” became popular due to the 1964 Disney musical film “Mary Poppins.” Used in a song, it inspired numerous parodies and covers – supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and not that awesome.
3. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism – 30 letters
It is no secret that scientists love long words, so this one is again a technical term, meaning a hereditary medical disorder. What is remarkable about this particular word is that it is the longest non-contrived (finally!) word in a major dictionary – still somewhat hard to pronounce, though.
4. Antidisestablishmentarianism – 28 letters
Antidisestablishmentarianism opens the list of non-contrived and nontechnical words mentioned in the dictionaries. Not all of them, however – the world tends to long for simplicity, and some glossaries do not include this word due to the scarcity of usage. The notion is defined as advocating governmental support of the state church – first, in the context of the Church of England, but nowadays referring to any opposition to the church disestablishment.
5. HonorificabilitudinitatibusHonorificabilitudinitatibus – 27 letters
Meaning “the state of being able to achieve honors,” the word appeared in the works by medieval and Renaissance authors, has become the longest word in Shakespeare’s writing, and was later used in fiction and TV shows – primarily for illustrative purposes.
6. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu – 85 letters
Some hills and mountains boast a remarkable height, whereas others become famous for a long name. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a name of a 305-meters hill in New Zealand, has a Maori origin and is listed as a place with the longest name in the world. Just imagine this location roadsign! Eighty-five letters, however, is not the limit – the name of the hill has other versions, and some of them are even longer.
7. Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg – 45 letters
Another remarkable record belongs to the lake in Massachusetts – Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg is renowned as the longest geographical name in the USA. As proud of its fame, the lake mercifully lets its friends call it simply the Webster Lake – otherwise, no one would dare to suggest going fishing there, we suppose.
8. Floccinaucinihilipilification – 29 letters
The word means the estimation of something as not important at all or useless. Though the word itself is hardly ever used due to its length, we can’t subject it to floccinaucinihilipilification, as it is often mentioned as a vivid example of the longest word in the English language.
9. Incomprehensibilities – 21 letters
Unlike most listed words, this one is quite understandable and even pronounceable. Ironically enough, defined as “things one is unable to comprehend.”, incomprehensibilities is one of the words usable in everyday speech.
10. Euouae
Let’s finish with something lighter (however, maybe still not in terms of pronunciation!) A medieval musical term, euouae is the longest English word consisting only of vowels. Six letters, but still impressive, right?
Well, it is time to draw a line with this parade of sesquipedalianism (17 letters, the practice of using long words)! Mentioning extremely long words may be a good way to impress someone or craft a unique piece, as not many risk using these words. However, do not forget that appropriateness (15 letters) should be the priority.
Even the words and phrases we use regularly were introduced to the audience one day! Moreover, in some cases, we know the authors of the neologisms that have become a natural part of everyday speech. So, certain writers have created something more than just a book – they have shaped the language as we know it now.
Let’s look at some curious examples of neologisms and how they appeared in language. Enriching vocabulary is a good way to write better texts that are original and approved by a plagiarism tool!
Serendipity
Meaning: an unplanned, fortunate discovery
Author: Horace Walpole, 1754
The word alludes to Serendip, the old Persian name of Sri Lanka, and a Persian fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip. As Walpole explained in the letter to his correspondent, in the tale, the princes were “always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not looking for.” He compared his recent discovery to the plot of this story, explaining the origin of “serendipity,” the word he has invented.
Catch-22
Meaning: an impossible situation when one cannot do one thing until doing another thing but cannot do the second thing until doing the first thing
Author: Joseph Heller, 1961
In his book Catch-22, Heller describes an impossible situation for military pilots, whose only choice to evade flying a suicidal mission is to be recognized as insane. However, asking to avoid such missions is a sign of a sane mind and, therefore, is not an option for the pilots.
The book was meant to be named Catch-18, after the number of the military regulation that set the described rule. However, after Leon Uris’s Mila 18 bestseller, Heller decided to change the number in the title to avoid confusion.
Workaholic
Meaning: the person addicted to work
Author: Dr. Wayne Oates, 1971
The word appeared in Oates’ book Confessions of a Workaholic: The Facts about Work Addiction, where the author introduced the concept of work, in certain cases becoming an addiction similar to alcohol. So, Oates used the suffix -holic that denotes addiction, as in the word “alcoholic,” in a new context.
Freelance
Meaning: someone selling services to clients with no long-term contract
Author: Walter Scott, 1820
Nowadays, freelancers are associated with traveling, coffee shops, and laptops. However, in his Ivanhoe novel, Walter Scott coined this word to describe medieval mercenary warriors, or “free lances,” who were hired as militants for a fee. “Free lance” in that context meant that the lance was not sworn to any lord’s services.
Cyberspace
Meaning: the virtual world created by Internet infrastructure
Author: William Gibson, 1982
William Gibson, the leader of a cyberpunk genre movement, introduced the concept of cyberspace in his Neuromancer novel. In Gibson’s writing, cyberspace was described as a world created by computer network and inhabited by AI beings.
Banana republic
Meaning: the country whose economy relies on the export of natural resources, e.g., bananas; usually economically and politically unstable
Author: O. Henry, 1904
O. Henry coined the banana republic term to refer to the fictional Republic of Anchuria in his Cabbages and Kings book. The collection of short stories was based on the author’s experience in Honduras. The neologism was introduced to describe Honduras and Guatemala under the economic exploitation by US corporations and later got a wider usage.
Beatnik
Meaning: members of a social movement in the mid-20th century who promoted an anti-materialistic lifestyle and self-expression through different forms of art
Author: Jack Kerouac and Herb Caen, 1958
In 1948, Jack Kerouac, the pioneer of the Beat Generation, introduced the phrase, generalizing the views and experiences of non-conformist underground youth from his social circle. It was the Chronicle columnist Herb Caen who coined the name for the followers of the Beat Generation, inventing the word beatnik.
When less is more: how to shorten sentences and sound more convincing
It all starts with good intentions. We want to find the best words to reflect on the subject, provide explanations so the writing is exhaustive, and add those two adjectives in case one wasn’t expressive enough. As a result, instead of being just deep, the text becomes a deep water where the reader risks drowning looking for sense. How can we shorten sentences without compromising the content and quality? Let’s break it down.
How long is too long?
First of all, not all long sentences are problematic. Moreover, we need them to keep our writing well-paced and rhythmic. The key is balance: alternating longer and shorter sentences makes your piece well-sounded and never bores the reader.
For this reason, we are not looking for a specific number of words in each sentence, but considering an average. For example, Martin Cutts, in his Oxford Guide to Plain English, suggests 15-20 words per sentence as an average benchmark for a well-balanced text. That means some sentences should be trimmed so the text doesn’t sound monotonous.
Here are some strategies for approaching the task without compromising the meaning. Spoiler: your writing will even sound sharper and more convincing!
1. Split it into two
Sometimes the easiest way is the most effective one. When the sentence is too long and complicated, especially including several subjects and containing complex punctuation, split it into two! (Compare: Split the sentence into two when it’s too long and complicated. Especially if it includes several subjects and contains complex punctuation.)
2. Make it active
Passive voice is one of the most popular tricks to make writing sound more formal, while active voice is the most effective way to make your text dynamic. It also requires fewer words.
Compare: The flower was planted by Harry. VS Harry planted the flower.
3. Beware of adverbs and adjectives
Adverbs and adjectives are not enemies. However, when a bit overused in an honest, genuine attempt to make our writing more precise, exhaustive, and well-sounding, they become a little overwhelming and confusing, making our sentence a bit long and excessive. Cut them out wherever they are not absolutely necessary. (VS Cut them out when they are not necessary.)
The point is not to make your text unemotional and colourless: look for stronger ways to express what you want!
Compare: Children were jumping cheerfully and carelessly in the sea. VS Children were frolicking in the sea.
4. Get rid of the water
Filler and redundant words add word count but no value besides the “water” to reach the required number of symbols. But water is what makes our text a place to drown instead of deep, remember?
Think “really,” “very,” “just,” and “actually” that sound natural in conversation but don’t work in a written text, especially an academic one.
Think “due to the fact that” and “in spite of the fact that” when you can simply say “because” and “although”.
Make a habit of questioning every complex construction you encounter–is there a simpler way to say it?
Compare: At this point in time, we are not considering this offer. VS We are not considering this offer now.
5. Choose strong verbs
The noun forms of the verbs are another construction that sounds complex, sometimes too much. Use the active verb instead–your sentence will also sound more energetic!
Compare: They weren’t ready to make a commitment to the project. VS The weren’t ready to commit to the project.
6. Call it by its name
Sometimes, overcomplicating comes from trying to hide the real subject behind the elaborate phrases or to pass off the topic as more complex than it is. Don’t be shy to sound more direct and specific.
Compare: The issue brought up by numerous experts in their reports has been a significant concern for a considerable group of people. VS Two faculty members want to discuss the schedule at today’s meeting.
7. Watch out for prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases are heavy constructions that lengthen any sentence, often unnecessarily. Pay attention to prepositions in sentences and see if you can replace them with simpler words.
Compare: the light of the moon VS moonlight; the lecture by that professor VS that professor’s lecture
8. Add structure
Bullet points and lists can turn any information into more digestible content, improve the text structure, and make your writing reader-friendly. Besides, it will help avoid repetitions and overexplaining.
Compare: Summer is great because we have holidays. Besides, the weather is warm, and I see my friends more often. VS Top reasons to look forward to summer: 1. warmer days; 2. holidays; 3. friends’ time!
9. Keep the balance
After shortening all the excessively lengthy sentences, zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, doing the opposite to obvious and combining short sentences into one helps to reduce word count and assist readability!
Compare: I feel good. The day is pleasant. It is also warm. VS I feel good as the day is warm and pleasant.
Use any words you want, and leave the originality concerns to us. PlagiarismCheck.org will scan your writing to check plagiarism and highlight the parts that need improvement to ensure you submit your text in all its glory!
