# Longest Word with All Unique Letters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395 "2006-05-27T01:10:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/1 "2006-05-27T01:10:20Z")
What is the longest English word with all unique letters (i.e. no letter can appear more than once)? ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/2 "2006-05-27T01:21:12Z")
“AMBIDEXTROUSLY is the longest word in common use with no letter appearing more than once. SUBDERMATOGLYPHIC is the longest word with no letter appearing more than once; it is not found in any dictionary, but does occur in a published medical article in Annals of Dermatology. Others are: MISCONJUGATEDLY, UNCOPYRIGHTABLE, which is found in printed publications from the Library of Congress Copyright Office, DERMATOGLYPHICS, SCHIZOTRYPANUM, and VESICULOGRAPHY, all three of which are found in Stedman’s electronic medical dictionary, and BRICKLEHAMPTON (a village in Britain near Evesham) [Chris McManus, Ted Clarke]. Other 14-letter words are UNDISCOVERABLY, which is in W3, BENZHYDROXAMIC, HYDROMAGNETICS, HYDROPNEUMATIC, PSEUDOMYTHICAL, SCHIZOTRYPANUM, SULPHOGERMANIC.” From here: [http://plex.us/archives/word.html](http://plex.us/archives/word.html) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/3 "2006-05-27T08:04:31Z")
There’s several names for this phenomenon, but perhaps the best is **heterogram**. The longest placename heterogram is MALITZSCHKENDORF, Germany (16 letters). Another long one is GUMPOLDSKIRCHEN, Austria (15). The longest in the English-speaking world is HACKSTOWN BRIDGE, Ireland (15). There’s about half a dozen 14-letter placename heterograms in the US, but all of them are two or more words (examples: South Cambridge, NY; Buckingham West, FL; West Rockingham, NC). The longest single-word one is BRIDGEHAMPTON, New York (13). This [page](http://members.aol.com/gulfhigh2/words4.html) has more on them (down towards the bottom). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/4 "2006-05-27T08:44:59Z")
Just looked at the link **Scruloose** provided. It’s a rather old (like 8 years old) archived version of the same page I provided. Use the current page(s), please. ---
**Author:** ![Majikthise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Majikthise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majikthise)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/5 "2006-05-28T01:45:37Z")
Here are the longest ones (14 letters or more) I found in the linux /usr/share/dict/words file (version 3.0-7) ambidextrously, enzhydroxamic, dermatoglyphic, dermatoglyphics, hydromagnetics, hydropneumatic, pseudomythical, Schizotrypanum, subformatively, sulphogermanic, undiscoverably. And here are a few hyphenated ones from the words file (these seem to be a bit more fun): cloth-measuring, cloth-spreading, hydro-pneumatic, wheat-producing, breath-sucking, clothes-drying, crystal-winged, double-spacing, flower-sucking, heat-producing, hot-vulcanized, loud-screaming, pseudo-African, self-combating, slow-breathing, spring-touched, stocking-frame, teak-producing, trouble-saving, Turko-egyptian, wrath-consumed. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/6 "2006-05-28T06:22:09Z")
**Smiled**. Because there’s a\*\* _mile_ \*\* between the first and last letter. 😃 (I’ve been saving that one since 1959) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/7 "2006-05-28T13:00:24Z")
> [@Majikthise](#): > > Here are the longest ones (14 letters or more) I found in the linux /usr/share/dict/words file (version 3.0-7) _can sense a programmer with free time…and a scripting language like perl to play with. Hmm…_ ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/8 "2006-05-28T13:23:18Z")
To hijack this thread, I can’t help but mention the word “intuitionistically” that has five "i"s. It is a word that I use a fair amount too, since it comes up in the kind of math I sometimes do. Whenever I write it, I am amused by the number of "i"s. What a nerd! Is there any other common word that has five or more instances of a single letter. I might mention “deeded”, a six letter word made with just two letters. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/9 "2006-05-28T13:36:00Z")
> [@Hari Seldon](#): > > Is there any other common word that has five or more instances of a single letter. I might mention “deeded”, a six letter word made with just two letters. Off the top of my head, “indivisibility” (6 i’s) and “inimitability” (with 5 i’s) works. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/10 "2006-05-28T13:41:18Z")
> [@Hari Seldon](#): > > To hijack this thread, I can’t help but mention the word “intuitionistically” that has five "i"s. It is a word that I use a fair amount too, since it comes up in the kind of math I sometimes do. Whenever I write it, I am amused by the number of "i"s. What a nerd! > > Is there any other common word that has five or more instances of a single letter. I might mention “deeded”, a six letter word made with just two letters. Ah, there’s a list of somesuch words [on this Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_English_words) page. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/11 "2006-05-28T14:07:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Off the top of my head, “indivisibility” (6 i’s) and “inimitability” (with 5 i’s) works. Make them plural and you get another I in each one: indivisibilities (7), inimitabilities (6). ---
**Author:** ![Majikthise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Majikthise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majikthise)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/12 "2006-05-28T14:37:25Z")
The linux words file contains “possessionlessness” which has 8 i’s. I was also surprised to find “humuhumunukunukuapuaa” (a type of fish found near Hawaii) which has _nine_ u’s. Not exactly a common word though. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/13 "2006-05-29T16:39:44Z")
> [@Majikthise](#): > > The linux words file contains “possessionlessness” which has 8 i’s. Um, one “i”–eight "s"es. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scott62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@scott62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott62)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/14 "2006-05-29T19:03:13Z")
On a different (but slightly similar) subject what is the longest monsyllabic word anyone knows of? I got 9 letters : stretched ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/15 "2006-05-29T19:47:46Z")
> [@scott62](#): > > On a different (but slightly similar) subject what is the longest monsyllabic word anyone knows of? I got 9 letters : stretched How about: the longest word with only one vowel. I submit “strengths” (9 letters) (I think that also matches your record for a monosyllable, **scott62** ) ---
**Author:** ![Majikthise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Majikthise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majikthise)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/16 "2006-05-29T20:52:43Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > Um, one “i”–eight "s"es. 🙂 Oops! :smack: In my defense, I would suggest that “i’s” is visually more aesthetically pleasing than “s’s”. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/17 "2006-05-30T17:18:33Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > **Smiled**. Because there’s a\*\* _mile_ \*\* between the first and last letter. 😃 > > (I’ve been saving that one since 1959) Would someone please invent the word sparseck to put that joke to rest, please 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/18 "2006-05-30T17:58:04Z")
strenthlessnesses is unique in that it only uses one vowel (e). Of course, the best 26 letter pangram (a sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet) is: MR. JOCK, TV QUIZ PHD, BAGS FEW LYNX. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/19 "2006-05-30T22:28:48Z")
> [@scott62](#): > > On a different (but slightly similar) subject what is the longest monsyllabic word anyone knows of? I got 9 letters : stretched From the page **Scruloose** and **dtilque** linked to: > [@](#): > > SCRAUNCHED (10 letters) and SCROONCHED may be the longest monosyllabic words in W3. The OED2 has these ten-letter words: STRENGTHED, STREYNGTHE, SCHMALTZED, STREIGHTES, STREINGHTS, and STREITCHED. The American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed., 2000) has SCROOTCHED as an alternative spelling for scrooched [Philip Bennett, Stuart Kidd]. > > Some nine-letter monosyllabic words are CRAUNCHED, SCHLEPPED, SCHLUMPED, SCHMEERED, SCHMOOZED, SCRAICHED, SCRAIGHED, SCRATCHED, SCREECHED, SCROOCHED, SCROUNGED, SCRUNCHED, SKREECHED, SKREIGHED, SPLOTCHED, SQUELCHED, SQUINCHED, SQUOOSHED, STAUNCHED, STRAIGHTS, STRENGTHS, STRETCHED, SCRANCHED, SCRAUGHED, SCRINCHED, SCRITCHED, SPLATCHED, SQUATCHED, SQUENCHED, FRAUNCHED, STRAYNGTH, GRAUNCHED, THRUTCHED, SCHWARMED, and SQUITCHED [Philip Bennett, Stuart Kidd]. > > In addition, MWCD10 shows a one-syllable pronunciation of SQUIRREL, so presumably the 11-letter SQUIRRELLED could be pronounced as one syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-word-with-all-unique-letters/358395/20 "2006-05-30T23:39:38Z")
> [@](#): > > CRAUNCHED, SCHLEPPED, SCHLUMPED, SCHMEERED, SCHMOOZED, SCRAICHED, SCRAIGHED, SCRATCHED, SCREECHED, SCROOCHED, SCROUNGED, SCRUNCHED, SKREECHED, SKREIGHED, SPLOTCHED, SQUELCHED, SQUINCHED, SQUOOSHED, STAUNCHED, STRAIGHTS, STRENGTHS, STRETCHED, SCRANCHED, SCRAUGHED, SCRINCHED, SCRITCHED, SPLATCHED, SQUATCHED, SQUENCHED, FRAUNCHED, STRAYNGTH, GRAUNCHED, THRUTCHED, SCHWARMED, and SQUITCHED Sounds like the collected works of Don Martin.