Monday, 10 December 2007

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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