If you take a tour of the English language, you can find some unbelievably long words like antidisestablishmentarianism, pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism, and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. As long as these words are, they have got nothing on the longest words you鈥檒l find in some of the world鈥檚 languages. If you find that hard to believe, you should know that the list you are about to read includes words like kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamhedenplan and miinibaashkiminasiganibiitoosijiganibadagwiingweshiganibakwezhigan. You have been warned!
鈿★笍 Quiz yourself on the longest words
Longing for a challenge? Once you’ve reviewed these exceptional (and exceptionally long) words from around the world, head directly to our quiz and see how much you’ve learned!
Before we begin our list, we wanted to make one clarification. In many languages, including several that will appear on this list, it is possible to make incredibly long compound words by attaching smaller words together. In theory, many languages can make words that go on indefinitely by making a nonsensical compound word made of an infinite number of smaller words. For our list, we wanted to only include words that actually make sense or have been used in written text. Let’s start with…
惭别迟丑颈辞苍测濒迟丑谤别辞苍测濒迟丑谤别辞苍测濒驳濒耻迟补尘颈苍测濒补谤驳颈苍测濒鈥�
The chemical name for the protein titin, which spans over 189 thousand letters, is often argued to be the longest word in the world. Its absurd length is due to the fact that proteins are named by combining the names of all of the individual amino acids used to form them. In the case of titin, its scientific name takes over three and a half hours to say out loud. Still, many people refuse to accept it as the world鈥檚 longest word because it is a scientific name.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Language: English
In most English dictionaries, the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest one you are going to find at a whopping 45 letters long. This word refers to a lung disease caused by silica dust.
For the rest of our words, we鈥檒l venture outside the English language to look at some of the longest words you鈥檒l find around the world.
啶ㄠた啶班え啷嵿い啶班ぞ啶ㄠ啶о啶距ぐ啶苦い-啶︵た啶椸え啷嵿い啶�-啶曕え啷嵿う啶侧う啶え啷嵿う-啶膏啶оぞ啶班じ-啶た啶ㄠ啶︵-啶膏ぞ啶ㄠ啶︵啶班い啶�-啶樴え啶距啶�-啶掂啶ㄠ啶�-啶膏え啷嵿う啷囙す啶曕ぐ-啶膏啶え啷嵿う啶ぞ啶�-啶啶班え啷嵿う-啶た啶ㄠ啶︵-啶え啷嵿ぇ啷佮ぐ啶むぐ-啶ぞ啶曕え啷嵿う-啶むぐ啷�-啶曕啶�-啶むげ啷嵿お-啶曕げ啷嵿お-啶啶︵啶�-啶膏た啶曕い啶�-啶溹ぞ啶�-啶溹啶苦げ-啶啶�-啶むげ-啶ぐ啷佮さ啶�-啶た啶侧う啶侧啷�-啶侧啷�-啶侧く-啶曕げ啶苦い-啶班ぎ啶｀啶�-啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶�-啶多ぞ啶侧た啶曕ぞ-啶ぞ啶侧た啶曕ぞ-啶曕ぐ啶距ぐ-啶掂た啶ㄠ啶�-啶椸げ啶ㄠ啶むた啶曕ぞ-啶椸げ啶︵啶侧ぞ-啶侧さ啶权啶�-啶ぞ啶熰げ-啶樴え啶膏ぞ啶�-啶曕じ啷嵿い啷傕ぐ啶苦啶距い啶苦じ啷屶ぐ啶�-啶啶︵啶�-啶侧啷佮い啶�-啶ぇ啷佮ぐ-啶多啶むげ啶むぐ-啶膏げ啶苦げ啶оぞ啶班ぞ-啶ㄠた啶班ぞ啶曕ぐ啶苦し啷嵿ぃ啷�-啶むう啷赌啶�-啶掂た啶げ-啶掂た啶侧啶氞え-啶く啷傕-啶班啶栢ぞ啶じ啶距ぐ啶苦い-啶た啶ぞ啶膏ぞ啶ぞ啶�-啶ぅ啶苦-啶侧啶曕ぞ啶ㄠ
Language: Sanskrit
This word that consists of 195 Sanskrit characters appears in Varad膩mbik膩 Pari峁嘺ya Camp奴 (1970). It is often said to be the longest word ever recorded in literature. When translated, this word results in a very long sentence describing the natural beauty of the Tamil Nadu region of India:
鈥淚n it, the distress, caused by thirst, to travelers was alleviated by clusters of rays of the bright eyes of the girls; the rays that were shaming the currents of light, sweet and cold water charged with the strong fragrance of cardamom, clove, saffron, camphor and musk and flowing out of the pitchers (held in) the lotus-like hands of maidens (seated in) the beautiful water-sheds, made of the thick roots of Andropogon muricatus mixed with marjoram, (and built near) the foot, covered with heaps of couch-like soft sand, of the clusters of newly sprouting mango trees, which constantly darkened the intermediate space of the quarters, and which looked all the more charming on account of the trickling drops of the floral juice, which thus caused the delusion of a row of thick rainy clouds, densely filled with abundant nectar.”
Please, don’t quiz us on that one!
Many English words come from Sanskrit. Read about 17 of them here.
搁颈苍诲蹿濒别颈蝉肠丑颅别迟颈办别迟迟颈别谤耻苍驳蝉颅眉产别谤飞补肠丑耻苍驳蝉颅补耻蹿驳补产别苍颅眉产别谤迟谤补驳耻苍驳蝉颅驳别蝉别迟锄
Language: German
If you consult a German dictionary, the longest word you are likely to find is Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung, which translates to 鈥渕otor car liability insurance.鈥�
However, you can find even longer compound words if you鈥檙e willing to comb through legislation. One example is the word 搁颈苍诲蹿濒别颈蝉肠丑颅别迟颈办别迟迟颈别谤耻苍驳蝉颅眉产别谤飞补肠丑耻苍驳蝉颅补耻蹿驳补产别苍颅眉产别谤迟谤补驳耻苍驳蝉颅驳别蝉别迟锄, which translates to 鈥渂eef labeling supervision duties delegation law.鈥�
Kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamhedenplan
Language: Dutch
Like German, the Dutch language is capable of forming some monstrous words through compounding. If you look in a dictionary, the longest word you are likely to find is meervoudigepersoonlijkheidsstoornis, meaning 鈥渕ultiple personality disorder.鈥�
If you look at Dutch legislation, you鈥檒l find even longer words like kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamhedenplan, which translates to 鈥減reparation activities for a children鈥檚 carnival procession.鈥�
Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas
Language: Finnish
Finnish is yet another language capable of creating absurdly long words using compounds. This mouthful is a military term that means 鈥渁irplane jet turbine motor assistant mechanic non-commissioned officer-in-training.鈥�
Esternocleidooccipitomastoideos
Language: Spanish
This Spanish medical term refers to muscles in the neck and is most likely going to be the longest word you鈥檒l find in a Spanish dictionary.
厂眉苍苍颈辫盲别惫补苍盲诲补濒补濒玫辫耻辫别辞辫盲谤补蝉迟濒玫耻苍补惫盲蝉颈尘补迟耻蝉
Language: Estonian
Our word party rages on as we locate the longest word you鈥檒l find in the Estonian language. According to one translation, this umlaut-heavy word describes the 鈥渆nergy on Sunday evening after a birthday celebration that lasted the whole weekend.鈥� (Noting this one for future use.)
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Language: Welsh
In Welsh, the longest word you鈥檒l often find in a dictionary is cyfrwngddarostyngedigaeth, which roughly translates to 鈥渋ntercession.鈥�
If you allow for place names in your increasingly long list of long words, then it is hard to top the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. However, this name is basically cheating when it comes to lists like this because it was intentionally designed to be absurdly long for tourism reasons. Speaking of long place names鈥�
罢补耻尘补迟补颅飞丑补办补迟补苍驳颈丑补苍驳补颅办辞补耻补耻颅辞颅迟补尘补迟别补颅迟耻谤颈颅辫耻办补办补颅辫颈办颈颅尘补耻苍驳补颅丑辞谤辞颅苍耻办耻颅辫辞办补颈颅飞丑别苍耻补颅办颈颅迟补苍补颅迟补丑耻
Language: Maori
This name comes from the Maori language and refers to a hill located in Hawke鈥檚 Bay, New Zealand. At 85 characters long, this name is often considered to be one of the longest place names in the world.
Miinibaashkiminasiganibiitoosijiganibadagwiingweshiganibakwezhigan
Language: Ojibwe
This deliciously long word comes from the Ojibwe language. So, what does it mean? Blueberry pie. Yum!
Read about words that originate from different Indigenous languages.
Pinakanakakapagngitngitngitngitang-pagsisinungasinungalingan
Language: Tagalog
This 59-letter word is said to be the longest published word in the Tagalog language. Like several other words on this list, this one was intentionally created to be absurdly long. Roughly translated, this word means 鈥渓ying that causes the most extreme anger.鈥�
惭耻惫补蹿蹿补办颈测别迟蝉颈锄濒别艧迟颈谤颈肠颈濒别艧迟颈谤颈惫别谤别尘别测别产颈濒别肠别办濒别谤颈尘颈锄诲别苍尘颈艧蝉颈苍颈锄肠别蝉颈苍别
Language: Turkish
This juggernaut of a word is said to be the longest word ever used in a Turkish publication. This word is the result of adding a bunch of suffixes to the Turkish word muvaffakiyet, meaning 鈥渟uccess.鈥� This word roughly translates to 鈥淎s though you are from those whom we may not be able to easily make into a maker of unsuccessful ones.鈥�
罢飞别别诲别丑补苍诲蝉别颅尘辞迟辞谤颅惫别谤办辞辞辫蝉颅尘补苍苍别颅惫补办产辞苍诲颅蝉迟补办颈苍驳蝉颅惫别谤驳补诲别谤颈苍驳颅蝉补尘别谤辞别辫别谤蝉颅迟辞别蝉辫谤补补办颅蝉办谤测飞别谤蝉颅辫别谤蝉颅惫别谤办濒补谤颈苍驳颅耻颈迟谤别颈办颈苍驳蝉颅尘别诲颈补颅办辞苍蹿别谤别苍蝉颈别颅补补苍办辞苍诲颈驳颈苍驳
Language: Afrikaans
This word comes from Afrikaans. Like Dutch, Afrikaans can be used to create absurdly long words by compounding them together. When translated, this word is said to mean 鈥渋ssuable media conference’s announcement at a press release regarding the convener’s speech at a secondhand car dealership union’s strike meeting.鈥�
And we’ve all been complaining about how tricky English can be!
位慰蟺伪未慰颅蟿蔚渭伪蠂慰颅蟽蔚位伪蠂慰颅纬伪位蔚慰颅魏蚁伪谓喂慰颅位蔚喂蠄伪谓慰颅未蚁喂渭颅蠀蟺慰颅蟿蚁喂渭渭伪蟿慰颅蟽喂位蠁喂慰颅魏伪蚁伪尾慰颅渭蔚位喂蟿慰颅魏伪蟿伪魏蔚蠂蠀颅渭蔚谓慰颅魏喂蠂位颅蔚蟺喂颅魏慰蟽蟽蠀蠁慰颅蠁伪蟿蟿慰颅蟺蔚蚁喂蟽蟿蔚蚁颅伪位蔚魏蟿蚁蠀慰谓颅慰蟺蟿慰颅魏蔚蠁伪位位喂慰颅魏喂纬魏位慰颅蟺蔚位蔚喂慰颅位伪纬峥澄柯兾瓜佄蔽刮柯参毕单仿勏佄蔽澄蔽轿柯赌蟿蔚蚁蠉纬蝇谓
Language: Ancient Greek
This ridiculous ancient Greek word was invented by the playwright Aristophanes, sometimes known as the 鈥淔ather of Comedy.鈥� This unnecessarily long word refers to a fictional dish that is made of a variety of animal parts. When transliterated into the Latin alphabet, this tasty meal appears as 尝辞辫补诲辞颅迟别尘补肠丑辞颅蝉别濒补肠丑辞颅驳补濒别辞颅办谤补苍颈辞颅濒别颈辫蝉补苍辞颅诲谤颈尘颅丑测辫辞颅迟谤颈尘尘补迟辞颅蝉颈濒辫丑颈辞颅办补谤补产辞颅尘别濒颈迟辞颅办补迟补办别肠丑测颅尘别苍辞颅办颈肠丑濒颅别辫颈颅办辞蝉蝉测辫丑辞颅辫丑补迟迟辞颅辫别谤颈蝉迟别谤颅补濒别办迟谤测辞苍颅辞辫迟别颅办别辫丑补濒濒颈辞颅办颈驳办濒辞颅辫别濒别颈辞颅濒补驳辞颈辞颅蝉颈谤补颈辞颅产补辫丑别颅迟谤补驳补苍辞颅辫迟别谤测驳辞苍.
At 183 characters long, this word is also one of the longest words ever used in literature.
