# What is the longest one syllable word? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916 "2009-03-26T21:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/41 "2010-11-20T16:48:52Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Slightyears. Sparsecs. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/42 "2010-11-20T17:18:05Z")
> [@Rasmus11](#): > > The word squirrel rhymes perfectly with the single syllable words “girl”, “swirl” and “pearl”. Only if you’re from somewhere where people eat them regularly. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/43 "2010-11-20T17:32:39Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Only if you’re from somewhere where people eat them regularly. Nah, “squirrel” and “girl” rhyme in my dialect, too. It’s debatable whether you want to consider those words one or two syllables, though. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/44 "2010-11-20T20:14:30Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Squirl? Is that really the proper American pronunciation? No. It’s squi-rel. Two syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/45 "2010-11-20T20:34:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Nah, “squirrel” and “girl” rhyme in my dialect, too. Do you regularly eat girls? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/46 "2010-11-20T21:01:04Z")
Hell some people pronounce girl “girdle”. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/47 "2010-11-20T21:38:30Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Can I propose “Featherstonehaugh’s Law”\*, which states that any thread on unusual pronunciations will include a mention of said surname before the end of Page 1? 😉 > Edit: \* or should that be “Featherstonehaugh’s Laugh”? Or you could call it the Cholmondeley\* dictolmonde. - “Chumley” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/48 "2010-11-20T21:44:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > In your world, perhaps. Over here (where we _invented the damn language_ 😛 ) it has two syllables, and rhymes with “[Wirral](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirral_Peninsula)”. > > Squirl? Is that really the proper American pronunciation? Well, sort of. The [É«] is so short, it can be heard as a triphthong (with the being a dipthong of [ɜ] and [Éč]). The thing is, [Éč] and [l] go so poorly together, that you hear the same triphthong/extra syllable in words like girl. In other words, both would be transliterated as ending with [ɝɫ]. Whether you count the [É«] as separate syllable is your choice. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/49 "2010-11-20T22:56:13Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Sparsecs. Isn’t that what Swedish people have in the sauna? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/50 "2010-11-20T23:29:55Z")
I seem to recall a swing era dance called the Skrountch. If one had the opportunity to do it, one could be said to have Skrountched (11 letters). ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/51 "2010-11-20T23:37:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Do you regularly eat girls? Have to, if you want to get along with 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916/52 "2010-11-20T23:41:58Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Sparsecs. 😛 Ahem
sinfinities. It happens in Vegas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-one-syllable-word/490916.md?page=2)