If you want to impress your friends with an extensive knowledge of the English language, there are plenty of options available which will enable you to do so. If you’re wondering what is the longest word in English, here are some examples:
Honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters)
Shakespeare gave us many wonderful words, such as this one. Although it won’t answer the question of what is the longest word in English, it’s definitely a prime candidate for being one that has the loveliest sound. It was mentioned in Love’s Labour’s Lost and its actual meaning is ‘the state of being able to achieve honours’. Although it doesn’t contain as many letters as what you will see in the following examples, it is a word which you should know. If you’re wondering what’s the longest word in English which has consecutive vowels and consonants, the answer is Honorificabilitudinitatibus. Don’t believe it is? Take a closer look and you’ll be very surprised.
Floccinaucinihilipilification (29 letters)
Even laborious words sound beautiful in Latin. It might be considered as being a dead language but many people still hold it in high regard. Although it isn’t the longest English word, it is perhaps one which has a certain ring to it which could land on a triple word score. What is the definition of a longest English word such as this? The answer is to consider something as being trivial. Although it could take a while to learn how to pronounce it, it is not the answer to what is the longest word in English.
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34 letters)
An easily identifiable word, it will forever be associated with the 1964 film ‘Mary Poppins’. The adventures of the nanny and her chimney sweep friend Bert continue to entertain children of all ages and those who are young at heart. It was created by the Sherman brothers but it has no solid meaning. If you think that it is the longest English word, you are mistaken because there are others that contain more letters.
Antidisestablishmentarianism (28 letters)
It isn’t the answer to what is the longest word in English. Unless it has been used in context, you have probably never had any reason to know how to spell it. This word has a lot of historical significance. Its origins are, unsurprisingly, from England in the 1860’s where there was a huge movement to separate the Anglican Church from the State. Many people at the time were calling for there to be a greater difference between the two because they were too close. Although it is not the oldest longest English word around, it at least has a backstory which could be the answer in a pub quiz if the question ever arises.
Antitransubstantiationalist (27 letters)
As with the aforementioned, religion has inspired another longest English word. Its exact definition originates from the Catholic Church and applies to someone who doesn’t agree with the concepts or beliefs of this particular denomination of the Christian faith. When asking yourself what is the longest word in English, backstories such as this make the search of tracking down the one which contains the most letters very entertaining.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters)
For once, a prime example of a longest English word doesn’t have any relevance to religion. In fact, this particular word is rooted in medicine. It represents a lung disease which is directly caused by silica dust. It isn’t a disease which is mentioned in the media often and, unless you are a General Practitioner or have unfortunately had it, you won’t consider it when wondering what is the longest word in English.
At Least: The chemical name for Titin (189,819 letters)
The answer to what is the longest word in English, it would take a while to say this word. It’s safe to say that it will probably never be used in polite conversation. To say the longest English word in its entirety, you would have to spend at least eight minutes and that’s when it is said at the speed of a horse racing commentator. It wasn’t created by one person alone. In fact, the longest English word is a combination of the considerable number of chemical compounds which make up this protein.
So let’s have a look at this video and enjoy the Russian accent:
