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The Longest Word in English No. 1

The longest word in English (and in the world) contains 3,609,750 letters and means the current day or date between real and imaginable today. It was coined by writer, director, artist and linguistic provocateur Nigel Tomm in his book The Blah Story, Volume 19. The word occupies 812 pages (read more and download entire book for free)

Here’s an excerpt of the word:

somewhenotodayoundressomecologicalinenumerousexyeslowillingnesshotstr-angereactioneglectabulationumberightonightomorrowidoweremembersufficien-togethernessobviousoomphilariousayourselforeasonablexplorerideseriouservan-twinklechoingoosevenowomeneedoorbellikelectricalamplantingoverockslightly-ellowelluminousportuitionevereoccupiesilentouringadderoastsalmonearlyowlec-habitationationalizespecialegornamentitartanomineejectwolivesubjectwentiet-hypertextransformereappearstaticrazyoungsterunearbyachtoo…eddingown

Cover image of The Blah Story, Volume 19:

 

The word was coined using simple algorithm:

Apparently Tomm’s neological method (or is it madness?) is to string together words where the last letter of one word is the same as the first letter of another. So “somewhennotoday” comes from “somewhen”, “not”, and “today” (with the common first and last letters reduced to one character). (read more)

Moreover, the word contains all previously known longest words (page numbers where these words can be found in The Blah Story, Volume 19 book are given):

  • lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphio-paraomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryo-noptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon (4 page);
  • taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (53 page);
  • pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (103 page);
  • pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (153 page);
  • floccinaucinihilipilification (203 page);
  • antidisestablishmentarianism (253 page);
  • honorificabilitudinitatibus (303 page);
  • aldiborontiphoscophornio (353 page);
  • chrononhotonthologos (353 page);
  • bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonn-thunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk (503 page);
  • supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (803 page).

 

Want to hear this 3.6 million letters word live? Then listen to the robot: 

 

P.S. All The Blah Story, Volume 19 can be downloaded for free from Nigel Tomm’s Amazon page.

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 2

The second longest word in English (and in the world) contains 2,087,214 letters and means something like a girl or a bitch. It was coined by writer Nigel Tomm in his book The Blah Story, Volume 10. The word occupies 728.

Here’s a very small excerpt of the word:

babyoubiquitouseadogablahomeffectonightobyeassymmetricityowlablaheat-enderopechoeslightlyuppiepitheturnsweetoastiedgedificexcretadamanterribl-educatedrumustablahisisterealityearnobodyesirapacityounderstandoorbellick-sensuousecretownevereadsimplelationatchomiciderectionaboblahisupered-iagramustoleratevenominalovenergyahoopsorryoudderunoxiouslut…oiletub

Here’s the cover image of The Blah Story, Volume 10:

The Blah Story, Volume 10

 The word was coined using a simple algorithm:

Firstly, Nigel Tomm takes a word “baby.” The word “baby” has the last letter “y,” so Tomm adds to the word “baby” a word which has the first letter “y,” he chooses a word “you,” and gets the word “babyou.” Symbolically it can be written

baby+(y)ou= babyou.

New word “babyou” has the last letter is “u,” so Tomm must add a word which begins with a letter “u,” and he chooses “ubiquitous.” Now, he gets a new word “babyoubiquitous.” Symbolically it could be written as

baby+(y)ou+(u)biquitous= babyoubiquitous

Applying this algorithm one more time we get:

baby+(y)oubiquitous+(s)eadog= babyoubiquitouseadog

and

baby+(y)oubiquitous+(s)eadog+(g)ab= babyoubiquitouseadogab,

and

baby+(y)oubiquitous+(s)eadog+(g)ab+(b)lah= babyoubiquitouseadogablah,

and so on. This algorithm was applied to get the word which is 2,087,214 letters long and occupies 728 pages.

You can find the algorithm here.

 P.S. All The Blah Story, Volume 10 can be downloaded for free from Nigel Tomm’s Amazon page.

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 3

Methionylthreonylthreonyl…isoleucine (189,819 letters) is the third longest word in English, usually it is called Titin (also known as connectin) is a protein that is important in the contraction of striated muscle tissues. Titin is the largest known protein, consisting of 26,926 amino acids.

However, professional dictionary writers regard generic names of chemical compounds as verbal formulae rather than as English words.

Some illustrations:

Find out more about the video above here.

From video description: “Simplified model of cardiac sarcomere. Myosin, actin, troponins, tropomyosin, myosin binding protein C, myopadin, Zasp, titin, actinin and other proteins in the cardiac myofilaments are shown.”

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 4

Lopadotemakhoselakhogameokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiokarabo-melitokatakekhymenokikhlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptokephallio-kigklopeleiolagōiosiraiobaphētraganopterýgōn (183 letters) is the fourth longest word in English, it describes a dish by stringing together its ingredients. This fictional dish was mentioned in ancient Greek comedic playwright Aristophanes’ comedy Assemblywomen.

Liddell and Scott translate this as “name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces.”

The dish was a fricassee, with 17 sweet and sour ingredients, including brains, honey, vinegar, fish, pickles, and the following: fish slices, fish of the Elasmobranchii subclass (a shark or ray), rotted dogfish or small shark’s head, generally sharp-tasting dish of several ingredients grated and pounded together, Silphion “laserwort” (apparently a kind of giant fennel), a kind of crab (beetle, or crayfish), eagle, cheese, honey poured down, wrasse (or thrush), on top of a kind of sea fish or Blackbird, wood pigeon, domestic pigeon, chicken, roasted head of dabchick, hare (which could be a kind of bird or a kind of sea-hare), new wine boiled down, dessert fruit or thing eaten raw, wing (fin).

In the Greek alphabet: λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυπο-τριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστερ-αλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων.

Here’s live performance of Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen:

P.S. Lopadotemachoselachogameokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphiokaraomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokinklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon Lopadotemakhoselakhogameokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiokarabomelitokatakekhymenokikhlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptokephalliokigklopeleiolagōiosiraiobaphētraganopterýgōn isn’t mentioned in the performance.

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 5

Bababadal­gharagh­takammin­arronn­konn­bronn­tonn­erronn­tuonn­thunn­trovarrhoun­awnskawn­toohoo­hoordenen­thurnuk (101 letters) is the fifth longest word in English, the word was coined by J. Joyce in Finnegans Wake, it allegedly represents the symbolic thunderclap associated with the fall of Adam and Eve. It depicts the word for “thunder” in various languages. In the novel J. Joyce coined ten 101-letter words (ten thunders), “each is a cryptogram or codified explanation of the thundering and reverberating consequences of the major technological changes in all human history” (Marshall McLuhan) (read more):

2. (thunder): Perkodhuskurunbarggruauyagokgorlayorgromgremmitghund-hurthrumathunaradidillifaititillibumullunukkunun
3. (clap): klikkaklakkaklaskaklopatzklatschabattacreppycrottygraddaghsem-mihsammihnouithappluddyappladdypkonpkot
4. (whore): Bladyughfoulmoecklenburgwhurawhorascortastrumpapornane-nnykocksapastippatappatupperstrippuckputtanach
5.: Thingcrooklyexineverypasturesixdixlikencehimaroundhersthemaggerby-kinkinkankanwithdownmindlookingated
6. (shut the door): Lukkedoerendunandurraskewdylooshoofermoyporter-tooryzooysphalnabortansporthaokansakroidverjkapakkapuk
7.: Bothallchoractorschumminaroundgansumuminarumdrumstrumtruminahu-mptadumpwaultopoofoolooderamaunsturnup
8.: Pappappapparrassannuaragheallachnatullaghmonganmacmacmacwhackfa-lltherdebblenonthedubblandaddydoodled
9. (cough): husstenhasstencaffincoffintussemtossemdamandamnacosaghc-usaghhobixhatouxpeswchbechoscashlcarcarcaract
10. (Norse gods): Ullhodturdenweirmudgaardgringnirurdrmolnirfenrirlukkilo-kkibaugimandodrrerinsurtkrinmgernrackinarockar

Want to hear the first thunder word? Here’s one crazy reading:

All ten thunders (without breaks):

Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk; Perkodhuskurunbarggruauyagokgorlayorgromgremmitghundhurthrumathunaradidillifaititillibumullunukkunun; Klikkaklakkaklaskaklopatzklatschabattacreppycrottygraddaghsemmihsammihnouithappluddyappladdypkonpkot; Bladyughfoulmoecklenburgwhurawhorascortastrumpapornanennykocksapastippatappatupperstrippuckputtanach; Thingcrooklyexineverypasturesixdixlikencehimaroundhersthemaggerbykinkinkankanwithdownmindlookingated; Lukkedoerendunandurraskewdylooshoofermoyportertooryzooysphalnabortansporthaokansakroidverjkapakkapuk; Bothallchoractorschumminaroundgansumuminarumdrumstrumtruminahumptadumpwaultopoofoolooderamaunsturnup; Pappappapparrassannuaragheallachnatullaghmonganmacmacmacwhackfalltherdebblenonthedubblandaddydoodled; Husstenhasstencaffincoffintussemtossemdamandamnacosaghcusaghhobixhatouxpeswchbechoscashlcarcarcaract; Ullhodturdenweirmudgaardgringnirurdrmolnirfenrirlukkilokkibaugimandodrrerinsurtkrinmgernrackinarockar.

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 6

Lip­smackin­thirst­quenchin­acetastin­motivatin­good­buzzin­cool­talkin­high­walkin­fast­livin­ever­givin­cool­fizzin (100 letters) is the sixth longest word in English, the word was used by Pepsi’s advertising agency Boase Massimi Pollitt in TV and film advertising (1973).

Here goes an add:

Lipsmackinthirstquenchinacetastinmotivatingoodbuzzincooltalkinhighwalkinfastlivinevergivincoolfizzin, isn’t it?

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 7

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (85 letters) is the seventh longest word in English, it is a place name in New Zealand.

More precisely it is the name for a hill, 305 metres high, close to Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke’s Bay (New Zealand). The name is often shortened to Taumata by the locals for ease of conversation.

Roughly it translates as The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one. It is one of the longest place names in the world.

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu on the map below (marked with letter “A”).

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

Directions to Taumata…ahu (New Zeland):

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

There are also other, quite long place names:

  • Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (58 letters) is a name of a town on Anglesey, an island of Wales. Actually, the place’s name is 51 letters long, as certain character groups in Welsh are considered as one letter.
  • Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (45 letters) is a lake in Webster, Massachusetts (USA), it is the longest place name in the United States.  It means “Englishmen at Manchaug at the Fishing Place at the Boundary.”
  • Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya (26 letters) is a hill in Australia. The word means “where the Devil urinates.”
  • Muckanaghederdauhaulia (22 letters) is a placename in Ireland. The word means “pig-marsh between two saltwater inlets.”

 

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 8

Twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun (71 letters) is the eighth longest word in English, it was used in a McDonald’s Restaurant advertisement to describe the Big Mac sandwich. The phrase is a compound of the phrase “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun”, which is a basic ingredient listing for its Big Mac sandwiches.

Let’s watch it:

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 9

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters) is the ninth longest word in English, it means a lung disease, this is also longest word in a major dictionary. From Oxford English Dictionary: “[this is] a factitious (i.e., created by humans, artificial) word alleged to mean a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust causing inflammation in the lungs. Occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word.”

Let us investigate the word more carefully. First, we come to the prefix (pneu-), or (pneumo-) which means lung. Next, is ultra, meaning extreme, and microscopic, meaning small. Now we come to (silico-), which refers to silicon, and (volcano-) which refers to the mineral particles that make up a volcano. Then we have (coni-), a derivative of the Greek word konis meaning dust. Finally, we have the suffix (-osis) which means affected with. Now lets rebuild what we have dissected:

Considering the prefix (pneumo-) and the suffix (-osis), we can determine that the lungs are affected with something. But what? Breaking down the rest of the terms we get extremely small (ultramicroscopic) silicon (silico-) and volcanic (volcano-) dust (coni-) particles. Thus, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconi-osis is a disease of the lungs resulting from the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust. That’s all. (taken from About.com).

You can find more info about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconi-osis here. Let me finish the article with such illustration:

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Longest Words in English Top 14:

The Longest Word in English No. 10

The tenth longest word in English is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34 letters), this is the title of a song from the movie Mary Poppins (here’s songtext), the word does appear in several dictionaries, but only as a proper noun defined in reference to the song title. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers, and sung by Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke. According to the 1964 Walt Disney film, it’s defined as “what you say when you don’t know what to say” (find out more here or here).

Here goes the song:

As usual, our frequent guest, Hot for Words girl is ready to tell you everything about supercalifragilisticexpialidocious:

Longest Words in English Top 14:

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