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Which Are The Longest Words In The English Language?

Image: Diana Polekhina

English can sometimes be a daunting language. Think about the challenges a non-native speaker must face in order to learn that "buy", "by", and "bye" are spelled differently but sound the same, or that the word "bear" can both mean "a large mammal" and "to support the weight of something". However, we believe that this difficulty is a large part of what makes the English language so beautiful, filled with unique words and spellings that completely amaze us.

We have compiled a list of ten long words that would both terrify a Spelling Bee contestant and make the mouth of a Scrabble player water. These words range from "a few letters too long" to "ridiculously lengthy". Enjoy!

Image: Rusty Watson

We’ll begin this list with one of the longest American demonyms we could find. While the official designations for the good people living in "The Constitution State" are "Connecticuter" and "Connecticutian", the unofficial demonym "Connecticutensian" can also be used.

Interestingly, none of these above-mentioned denominations is as regularly used as the colloquial nickname "nutmeggers". This comes with the unofficial nickname of Connecticut, known as "The Nutmeg State".

Image: Caroline Veronez

Looking for new ways to tell your partner they are beautiful, but the words "pretty" or "handsome" seem to be overused? Don’t worry, we got you covered. Next time you are enjoying a candle-lit dinner, try looking into their eyes and saying, "Darling, you look absolutely pulchritudinous tonight."

Well, maybe this is not the most romantic of words, but it is still pretty interesting. It is derived from the word pulchritude, an out-of-style noun that means "beauty". In turn, this word comes from the Latin word pulcher, which translates to "beautiful".

Image: Gary Chan

Try saying this three times fast. As quirky as this word sounds, its meaning is not as fun. "Floccinaucinihilipilification" is a word that describes the act of considering something completely worthless or unimportant.

However, don’t be too discouraged by this word’s meaning: chances are it was never used in casual conversation. In fact, it is mostly quoted as an example of a ridiculously long word, and not as an actual measure of importance.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

While the verb "tergiversate" isn’t exactly synonymous with lying, they are both cut from the same cloth. Its noun form, "tergiversation", describes the act of producing different statements, often twisting and turning facts to protect self-interest.

However, tergiversate has an accidental ring to it that lying usually doesn’t, since someone caught in tergiversation is found after stating contradictory facts that evidence his or her deceitful ways.

Image: Akira Hojo

Just like "floccinaucinihilipilification", the word "antidisestablishmentarianism" is considered one of the longest non-scientific words in the English language. However, the main difference between them is that antidisestablishmentarianism was for a while present in everyday vocabulary, albeit in 19th-century England.

This word describes a movement that advocated for the Church of England to continue to receive government patronage. In fact, it was created as a response to another movement also blessed with an extremely lengthy name called "disestablishmentarianism", which called for the separation between church and state.

Image: Umberto

While this word is definitively a mouthful, it is also rather straightforward. "Uncopyrightable" describes cultural products such as books, films, or photographs that can’t be claimed or protected under copyright laws.

The characteristics that might make something uncopyrightable are various: If the author is unknown, for instance, or if a certain item belongs to the public, like a legal code or constitution. Sometimes the matter of who is the author of a certain cultural item is disputed, and therefore no individual can truly claim ownership, so the work is deemed uncopyrightable.

Image: Sander Sammy

It is rather ironic that we try to explain the meaning of such a bewildering word as "incomprehensibleness" when it literally defines a state in which something is particularly or downright impossible to understand.

While its synonym "incomprehensibility" is far more regularly used, we must take our hats to "incomprehensibleness", a noun that took a word with an already difficult spelling and added a few extra letters just for the sake of being extra confusing.

Image: Liv Bruce

Just like with "Pulchritudinous", we believe there are warmer ways to refer to your family, but let’s explore this word on the off chance you want to show your affection at the next Thanksgiving in a more formal, slightly offputting way.

"Consanguineous" is an adjective for people related by blood and, while it is mostly used in matters related to ancestry, it is perfectly suitable to describe your immediate family. The main root of this word comes from the Latin word sanguin, which means "blood".

Image: Andreas Praefcke

We know what you are thinking: This one feels a little bit like cheating. After all, this word was first said by the legendary Julie Andrews in the timeless Disney film "Mary Poppins", and it was written as an extremely long adjective, meant to sound silly for comedic effect.

However, you might be surprised to learn that this word has been included in several renowned dictionaries: Cambridge Dictionary defines "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" as "extremely good". And while its use will forever be associated with our favorite British nanny, this wacky word has truly transcended its medium.

Image: Brett Jordan

We’ll end this article with a bit of an ironic twist. Besides being the longest word we could find, "hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia" describes an irrational fear, as all words ending in "phobia" do. However, this noun holds the dubious distinction of describing an unreasonable fear to itself, since someone suffering from this phobia is terrified of long words.

To make matters worse, some people spell this word with an extra P ("hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia"), which some believe is a humorous misspelling in order to make the word even longer.

Something wicked this way comes

Are you sure you're not spellbound? The 10 most iconic witches in fiction

Image: Cristina Hernández

Broomsticks, cauldrons, potions, black cats, crystal balls, magic wands! What do all these bring to your mind? Some good, some not so good, witches have been recurring characters in the human imagination, appearing in ancient myths, folklore, fairy tales, and even on TV and in films. Among them, some witches stood out, becoming memorable characters for all of us. If you want to remember 10 iconic witches from literature, movies, and TV, this article is for you!

Image: Neal E. Johnson

L. Frank Baum is the creator of the legendary Wicked Witch of the West, who first appears in the famous novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900.

One of the main antagonists of Dorothy and her friends, the Wicked Witch of the West is the archetypal witch with all the bells and whistles: she is a malevolent old lady who wears a black dress and a pointy hat, often holding her broomstick.

What many people don't know is that the familiar image of the witch we know today is largely thanks to Margaret Hamilton, who portrayed the green-skinned Wicked Witch in the 1939 film adaptation of the story.

Image: Becca Tapert

Another witch inhabits the world of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but this one is quite different from the previous one.

Known as "The Good Witch," Glinda is exactly that: a witch with good intentions. Unlike the Wicked Witch, Glinda helps Dorothy on her journey, using her powers for good. These opposing differences are also reflected in their appearances: Glinda is a beautiful woman who wears a pink dress and carries not a broom but a wand, almost like a fairy godmother.

It was actress Billie Burke who brought Glinda to the big screen in the 1939 adaptation.

Image: Jeremy Bishop

Every hero needs a villain, just as every princess needs an evil witch. And the story of Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) is no exception.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, the Disney movie has made Ariel the world's most famous mermaid. But her life under the sea isn't so peaceful, and this is due, in large part, to the evil Ursula.

With her purple skin, white hair, garish makeup, and especially her large tentacles, Ursula is one of Disney's most emblematic villains. In the story, Ursula offers to use her powers to fulfill Ariel's wish to become human. However, her intentions are anything but kind.

Image: Elena Mozhvilo

Moving beyond the stereotypical hats, brooms, and wrinkled skin, the classic American TV sitcom Bewitched (1964-1972) introduced us to Samantha Stephens, a modern-day witch.

Samantha is portrayed by Elizabeth Montgomery, who, over the course of 8 seasons, turned the character into one of TV's most beloved witches.

Unlike other witch characters, Samantha is a kind woman who chooses to live a quiet life in the suburbs with her husband. Although she tries to avoid using magic in her day-to-day life, she often encounters weird and comical situations that leave her with no choice. When she turns to her powers, she always does so with good intentions through an iconic and recognizable gesture: her nose twitches.

Image: Kristin O Karlsen

What memories do you have from your teenage years? Now, imagine having magical powers—how different would that have been? What would the life of a teenage witch be like?

Fortunately, the answer to that last question exists: Sabrina Spellman, the teenage witch. This iconic character first appeared in 1962 as part of Archie's Madhouse #22, a spinoff of the main Archie comics. Sabrina is a teenager like any other, living a normal life—with the small detail that she has magical abilities. Like other witches on this list, Sabrina has a good heart and often tries to help others. She is often accompanied by her pet, which, as it couldn’t be otherwise, is a black cat named Salem.

One of the most famous adaptations was the 1996 live-action series called Sabrina the Teenage Witch, starring Melissa Joan Hart as the main character.

Image: Rosie Sun

While Sabrina and Samantha are kind witches often involved in comical situations, not all the characters in this article are like that. In fact, some are quite the opposite.

Such is the case with the mysterious Blair Witch, first introduced in the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project. In the story, a group of students decide to spend the night in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, to investigate the local tale of the Blair Witch. They never return.

All that is found of them is the footage they made during their time in the hills, which turns out to be absolutely terrifying, showing eerie events blamed on the presence of the evil witch. But there's something about the Blair Witch that makes her even more disturbing: you never get to see her.

Image: Sixteen Miles Out

In Act 1, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, we're introduced to three iconic characters who embody dark forces. They are the Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters.

Representing fate and conflict, the Three Witches are responsible for making prophecies that guide the plot of Macbeth. With their eerie appearance and cryptic prophecies, they play a crucial role in Macbeth's destiny by understanding his weaknesses and manipulating the ambition within him.

Shakespeare made The Three Witches speak in rhyming couplets, with one of their most famous lines being, "Double, double, toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Image: Geoffrey Moffett

Winifred, Sarah, and Mary are the Sanderson Sisters, the antagonistic trio of witches in Hocus Pocus, the classic 1993 Disney movie. Spectacularly blending horror and humor, each of the sisters has her own unique quirks.

Winifred, played by Bette Midler in the movie, is characterized by her iconic red hair and green dress. She's also the leader and the most skilled sister. In fact, she's the one who casts the spell that brings the three witches back to life.

Played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah's greatest strength is her charm, especially her melodious voice, through which she sings songs that hypnotize children.

Finally, Mary, played by Kathy Najimy, is very loyal and possesses the spooky ability to sense the smell of children to catch them.

Image: Tikkho Maciel

When it comes to scary witches, we can't fail to mention Maleficent, a full-fledged Disney villain.

Based on the evil fairy from Charles Perrault's classic tale The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Maleficent first appeared in Disney's 1959 adaptation. She is a powerful and elegant witch, noted for her spiteful and vengeful personality. She casts a spell on Princess Aurora because the king and queen don't invite her to the christening. She condemns the princess to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday until the kiss of true love awakens her.

In 2014, the evil Maleficent had her own movie, with the wonderful Angelina Jolie in the title role.

Image: Artem Maltsev

Since the publication of J.K. Rowling's first book about the iconic young wizard in 1997, and especially since the release of the first movie in 2001, Harry Potter has become a worldwide phenomenon, with thousands upon thousands of fans.

In this story, there's a trio of magical students who stand out for their good intentions and strong friendship: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.

Hermione is one of the most popular witches of the 20th century. Her intelligence, skills, loyalty, high morals, and bravery set her apart from other characters of the same age. She shows enormous dedication and commitment to her education, and thanks to her, we all know that "It's Leviosa, not Leviosar!"