Top Ten Longest Words in English


Top Ten Longest Words

in the Oxford English Dictionary

1. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis 45
2. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 34
3. pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism 30
4. floccinaucinihilipilification 29
4. triethylsulphonemethylmethane 29
5. antidisestablishmentarianism 28
5. octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane 28
5. tetrachlorodibenzoparadioxin 28
6. hepaticocholangiogastronomy 27
7. radioimmunoelectrophoresis 26
7. radiommunoelectrophoretic 26
Words that are hyphenatned, including such compound words as "transformational-generative" and " tristhio-dimethyl-benzaldehyde", have not been included. Only one unhyphenated word did not make it into the Top 10, the 25-letter "psychophysicotherapeutics". After this, there is a surprisingly large number of words containing 20-24 letters (radioimmunoprecipitation, spectrophotofluorometric, thyroparathyroidectomize, hypergammaglobulinaemia, roentgenkymographically and immunosympathectomized, for example) -- few of which are ever used by anyone except scientists and crossword compilers.


Bedre N. Manjunath M.A.,
Transmission Executive, All India Radio F.M.
CHITRADURGA - 577 501, KARNATAKA
Ph: 94485-89089

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