# The final word on the longest word

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096 "2000-11-28T22:39:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ElusiveMiser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@ElusiveMiser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElusiveMiser)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/1 "2000-11-28T22:39:48Z")

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Okay okay. The subject line makes me look like a dumbass. But I’ve always been skeptical about what the longest word in english language ofically is. And what it means.

And if you’re feeling like a hotshot, what the longest word in existence? And what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/2 "2000-11-28T23:10:36Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB. You question cannot be answered positively but this link from Uncle Cecil himself should help you out:

[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mantidis.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mantidis.html)

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/3 "2000-11-28T23:13:40Z")

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there’s also pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis:

aka black lung disease, commonly found in coal miners.

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/4 "2000-11-28T23:25:22Z")

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Y’know what the longest word is?

_Smiles_, 'cause there’s a MILE between the first “s” and the last!

Tee hee – snort – guffaw!

[sub]Okay, somebody shoot me now…[/sub]

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/5 "2000-11-29T00:55:17Z")

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See [A collection of word oddities and trivia: long words](http://members.aol.com/gulfhigh2/words11.html)

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-final-word-on-the-longest-word/43096/6 "2000-11-29T02:02:07Z")

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An earlier thread on this subject:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=6826](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=6826)