# \[Game\] Find a difficult vocabulary word **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 10, 2014, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230 "2014-11-10T10:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/1 "2014-11-10T10:52:36Z")
When looking up a word at [http://dictionary.reference.com](http://dictionary.reference.com) I noticed that to the right of their “Origin” map, they have a difficulty index for that word. The way I interpret their difficulty index is to count the number of lines from the right. So, the lower the number the more difficult the word. For example, the word [sparge](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sparge?s=t) has a difficulty index of 9 The word [flagitious](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flagitious?s=t) rates an 8, [williwaw](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/williwaw?s=t) scores a 7 [valetudinarian](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/valetudinarian?s=t) scores a 6 and both [kakistocracy](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kakistocracy?s=t) and [sesquipedalian](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sesquipedalian?s=t) rank at number 5. Since the SDMB has a membership of many sesquipedalian sharpshooters, I thought it might be fun if we could find words that rank with an even lower difficulty index. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/2 "2014-11-10T11:37:33Z")
As usually, one will run into arguments where proper names begin. [Pont-l’Évêque](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pont%20l%27%C3%89v%C3%AAque) scores slightly above 2, as does [Götterdämmerung](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/G%C3%B6tterd%C3%A4mmerung?s=t). ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/3 "2014-11-10T23:30:18Z")
“[Fewmet](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/250/is-it-true-every-type-of-animal-dropping-has-its-own-name)” isn’t even in this dictionary. Thus, I give it a -1. [Spraints](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/250/is-it-true-every-type-of-animal-dropping-has-its-own-name) isn’t in there either. I detect a theme… ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/4 "2014-11-11T00:29:30Z")
[Pulchritude](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pulchritude?s=t) comes it at about 6, whereas [scordatura](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scordatura?s=t) comes in at 7. That seems off to me. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/5 "2014-11-11T00:32:07Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > As usually, one will run into arguments where proper names begin. [Pont-l’Évêque](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pont%20l%27%C3%89v%C3%AAque) scores slightly above 2, as does [Götterdämmerung](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/G%C3%B6tterd%C3%A4mmerung?s=t). These both show over 3 to me. Along those lines, [idée fixe](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Id%C3%A9e%20fixe?s=t) is a 4. How cheating is it to use words of clearly foreign derivation? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/6 "2014-11-11T01:11:50Z")
concinnity has a 7 pleroma doesn’t have an origin map quisquillous isn’t even listed. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-find-a-difficult-vocabulary-word/704230/7 "2014-11-11T02:16:11Z")
Yes, the rankings of difficulty are no doubt based on a subjective method rather than some strict mathematical analysis. In fact, when I looked for words to use, I searched several online vocabulary lists (preparation for the GRE, SAT, etc.). The funny thing is that of the 6 words I used in the OP, the ones I found using my own memory were the ones that rank a 5. Those words that rank 6 through 9, I found on vocabulary lists. Anyway, I found a word that ranks a 4 - [sui generis](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sui%20generis?s=t). (I’m sure many of us have at least seen that word even if it ranks a 4 whereas until yesterday, I never even heard of sparge (9) or flagitious (8).