The 11 Longest Words In The English Language (PHOTOS)

Long words can be fun to say for your own amusement or just to annoy your friends. After all, who hasn't reveled in the syllabic rhythm of "antidisestablishmentarianism"?

Though not often, we occasionally come across words like "deinstitutionalization" and "counterrevolutionaries." Upon seeing so many letters jammed together, there's a bit of enjoyment in sounding out the word and letting it roll off the tongue.

More challenging are words such as 'Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk,'' a 101-letter word from Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" which supposedly represents the symbolic thunderclap following Adam and Eve's fall.

So we set out to find the longest words in the English language, while trying to skirt some of the linguistic train wrecks that are out there (see Pepsi's 1973 advertising buzzword: "Lipsmackinthirstquenchinacetastinmotivatingoodbuzzincooltalkinhighwalkinfastlivinevergivincoolfizzin"). Many of them are medical--is it a wonder we don't always understand doctors?

Know a word we missed, or even just a really impressive-sounding one? Let us know!

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antidisestablishmentarianism

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antidisestablishmentarianism n. opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England. 28 letters

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antidisestablishmentarianism
n.
opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England.
28 letters

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Comments

[bookon]

05:05 PM on 09/15/2010

Where is supercalif­ragilistic­expialidoc­ious?

[spartanmom]

07:09 AM on 09/09/2010

facetiousl­y—allegedl­y the only word in English with all the vowels in alphabetic­al order.

[pagansmom]

08:44 AM on 09/09/2010

There are actually many, but facetious is the shortest. :)

[spartanmom]

08:22 PM on 09/09/2010

That's what I get for relying on Click and Clack for lexicograp­hy

[lastpost]

06:26 AM on 09/09/2010

“Know a word we missed, or even just a really impressive­-sounding one? Let us know!”
I thought the longest word was “smiles”. 'Cos there’s a mile between each “s”.

[SnowOwl]

06:14 AM on 09/09/2010

Ever seen some of the Welsh words in writing? Makes these words look like amateur hour.

[lenuk]

07:14 AM on 09/09/2010

It's only an optical illusion :-)

In Welsh, 'w', 'y' are vowels. Knowing this, pronunciat­ion is really quite easy.

[JackHoffman]

04:55 AM on 09/09/2010

Did you know that BOB spelled backwards is BOB?

[Amalek]

08:34 AM on 09/09/2010

That is incredible­. 

[BulwerLytton]

11:09 PM on 09/09/2010

But DOG spelled backward is GOD. Which brings to mind a story. Seems there was this dyslexic agnostic insomniac who stayed up all night wondering if there really is a DOG.

[Erzsebet Gilbert]

03:34 AM on 09/09/2010

The English language is such a b@st@rd. Don't flag me, because I mean it intellectu­ally: English draws its roots from all over Europe and branches around the world - which is part of why it's so rich in words including these. I just wrote a dictionary­, so maybe I'm obsessed. But the language truly is a beautiful, morphing total monster... I freaking love it.

[comment from grandpa]

08:11 AM on 09/09/2010

I second that emotion...­......

[RButler]

03:21 AM on 09/09/2010

Hmmm.  No pronunciat­ions. 

Are these words ever, ever used in a sentence? 

[disprovit]

03:09 AM on 09/09/2010

tksoasdfla­ksdfosdfao­sdfkxzlosd­fiosdlowow­doksioowoi­oxowowokdO­FUM

Enough said

[sugarmag]

02:15 AM on 09/09/2010

Ummm......­.The 2nd photo is of an Eastern Orthodox altar - not Roman Catholic. Big difference to the adherents of either.

[Amalek]

02:51 AM on 09/09/2010

And of no consequenc­e to the rest of us.

[sugarmag]

03:15 AM on 09/09/2010

Just trying to be against ignorance. I just wanted to see a correctly documented article. I really enjoyed it - was an interestin­g read. Even if it of "no consequenc­e to the rest of us" there is no need for such a negative response.

[jasonedelman]

03:48 AM on 09/09/2010

and of no consequenc­e to the adherents, either.

[KIVPossum]

01:51 AM on 09/09/2010

Knew the first two. After that was lost.

[TotoMMB]

01:28 AM on 09/09/2010

I got a new word...iwi­shhuffpowo­uldstopmak­ingstupidp­ollsinizat­ion.

[suhud]

01:12 AM on 09/09/2010

Great piece. Just hope Palin's handlers don't read it!

[Amalek]

02:53 AM on 09/09/2010

They have been getting adventurou­s.  Today they used antithetic­al.   She thought it sounded cool, but didn't bother to ask what it means. 

[Joshrules]

12:29 AM on 09/09/2010

http://oth­yr.com/tit­in.html

[BuckoForce]

12:17 AM on 09/09/2010

Good to know for scrabble though, too bad there are not enough tiles.

[aalondawson]

11:21 PM on 09/08/2010

The question is; can these words be said if you're waring dentures?