# longest common english word **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531 "2005-01-07T05:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@Cast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cast)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/1 "2005-01-07T05:51:43Z")
So, I was saying congratulations to a friend the other day and noticed it was actually quite a long word. Four of my friends and I haven’t been able to find a longer word that the average person would know and use in ordinary conversation (i.e. the chemical listed on the back of the shampoo bottle doesn’t count). Can anyone think of one? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/2 "2005-01-07T05:58:07Z")
I used discombobulated yesterday. Not longer, but more syllables anyway. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/3 "2005-01-07T06:03:33Z")
Depends on how you define common. “Constitutionality” is longer, and would be commonly found in newspaper articles. ---
**Author:** ![Cast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@Cast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cast)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/4 "2005-01-07T06:04:37Z")
What the stink does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/5 "2005-01-07T06:05:46Z")
Disproportionality? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/6 "2005-01-07T06:46:24Z")
Internationalization. While the average person might not use this in conversation, they would probably understand what it meant in context. ---
**Author:** ![Sensualips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@Sensualips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sensualips)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/7 "2005-01-07T06:48:53Z")
I’m sorry, I know this isn’t exactly common, but I absolutely had to add this one. My brother, my sisters and I used it all the time when we were kids to show how smart we were… antidisestablishmentarianism If anyone doubts the word…[Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidisestablishmentarianism) ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/8 "2005-01-07T06:59:17Z")
> [@Sensualips](#): > > I’m sorry, I know this isn’t exactly common, but I absolutely had to add this one. My brother, my sisters and I used it all the time when we were kids to show how smart we were… > > antidisestablishmentarianism > > If anyone doubts the word…[Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidisestablishmentarianism) I’ve actually managed to throw “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” into a conversation but I wouldn’t call it common, exactly… All of the halfway common words I can think of are topping out at 6-7 syllables. How about interdenominationally (9 syllables)? That’s found it’s way into some debates I’ve had on religion. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/9 "2005-01-07T09:47:05Z")
Good one, **Valgard** - my suggestion is _Incomprehensibilities_, equal in length and almost equal in syllables 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/10 "2005-01-07T11:13:08Z")
Misunderestimated? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/11 "2005-01-07T12:45:03Z")
I’ve used antitransubstantiationalist in conversation, though I admit I was partly (only partly) motivated by the lure of sesquipedalia. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/12 "2005-01-07T13:32:53Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I’ve used antitransubstantiationalist in conversation, though I admit I was partly (only partly) motivated by the lure of sesquipedalia. Well, in discussions of religious practice, I do use transubstantiation and its derivatives on a regular basis, perhaps an average of once a week – but you all knew I was odd, anyway! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/13 "2005-01-07T13:34:51Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > …though I admit I was partly (only partly) motivated by the lure of sesquipedalia. Your admission shows admirable honorificabilitudinitatibus. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/14 "2005-01-07T13:39:22Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Your admission shows admirable honorificabilitudinitatibus. Floccinaucinihilipilificator!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/15 "2005-01-07T13:49:23Z")
uncopyrightable ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/16 "2005-01-07T13:50:42Z")
microminiaturisation ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/17 "2005-01-07T16:35:20Z")
I’ve used hypoapobetalipoproteinemia in coversation before. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/18 "2005-01-07T16:48:03Z")
It would be “smiles” because there’s a mile between the beggining and end of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/19 "2005-01-07T17:00:58Z")
All of these high-brow answers make me embarrassed to mention… supercalifragilisticespialidocious ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531/20 "2005-01-07T17:09:53Z")
It’s “smiles.” Ask me why. Go ahead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-common-english-word/283531.md?page=2)