Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

The phobia of long words is called hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. Yes, the word for fear of long words is itself a 35-letter monster, and that’s the joke. Dictionaries label it humorous. The plainer term for the fear of long words, the one used in formal and clinical writing, is sesquipedalophobia. Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

Neither word is a diagnosis. But some people really do feel anxious about long or unfamiliar words, especially when they have to read them out loud, and that’s worth taking seriously. This page covers the word, how to say it, and what can help if the fear is real for you.

What is the phobia of long words?

The phobia of long words has two names:

• hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, the 35-letter joke version that most people search for
• sesquipedalophobia, the shorter and plainer word for the same fear

Both mean a fear of long words. Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia Wiktionary: sesquipedalophobia The long one was built as a joke, so the name itself is the very thing a person with the fear would dread. Neither is a medical diagnosis. When someone really is afraid of long words, the fear is usually about reading them aloud, getting them wrong, or being laughed at, and a doctor would think about it in those terms.

How do you say it?

Break it into pieces: hip-oh-pot-oh, mon-stroh, ses-kwih-peh-DAL-ee-oh, FOH-bee-uh. It has 15 syllables. Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

You’ll also see it spelled hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, with a double p. Wiktionary calls that a common misspelling, “perhaps on purpose, to make the word even longer.” Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

Where does the word come from?

It starts with sesquipedalian, an English word for long words or for people who love using them. That comes from the Latin sesquipedalis, meaning “a foot and a half long.” Wiktionary: sesquipedalian So a sesquipedalian word is, jokingly, one that’s 18 inches long.

Add -phobia and you get sesquipedalophobia, the fear of long words. Wiktionary’s earliest quote for it is from 1983. Wiktionary: sesquipedalophobia

Then someone made it bigger. The full joke version adds a form of the Latin monstrum, meaning monster, and the word hippopotamus, to make the word as huge as the words it’s afraid of. Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia Wikipedia lists it among “jocular and fictional phobias” and notes it was featured on the British science show Brainiac. Wikipedia: List of phobias

The word has been in newspapers for years. Wiktionary quotes a 2002 article in The Scotsman that lists it next to the fear of Friday the 13th. Wiktionary: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia Its own usage note says it’s unlikely the word is ever used just for its meaning. Another word built for the same kind of laugh is aibohphobia, the fear of palindromes, which is spelled the same forwards and backwards.

When the fear of long words is real

Here’s a made-up example. Imagine a teenager asked to read a paragraph aloud in class. She scans ahead and spots “photosynthesis” and “chlorophyll.” Her face goes hot and her heart races before it’s even her turn. She asks to go to the nurse. Next week she does the same thing, and the week after that.

For her, the problem isn’t the word’s length so much as what might happen: stumbling, being laughed at, looking “stupid.” That’s why fear of long words often overlaps with other fears.

• Fear of reading aloud in front of people links to glossophobia, the fear of public speaking.
• Fear of being laughed at for a mistake links to gelotophobia.
• Ongoing trouble reading unfamiliar words may point to a reading difficulty, which teachers and specialists can assess.

Fear or phobia?

Tripping over a hard word now and then is normal. So is groaning at a long one. A specific phobia means a marked, lasting fear that’s out of proportion to the danger and leads to avoidance or strong distress. APA Dictionary of Psychology If you skip classes, turn down jobs, or avoid reading so you never meet a long word, that’s more than a quirk. Our fear versus phobia guide explains the difference.

What can help?

If the fear is real, start with what’s underneath it.

• If reading aloud is the hard part, practice alone first, then with one person you trust, then with a small group.
• Look up pronunciations ahead of time. Many dictionaries have audio. That’s preparation, and there’s nothing to feel guilty about.
• Break long words into syllables, the way this page breaks up the big one.
• If reading itself is a struggle, ask a teacher or doctor about an assessment.

For anxiety that keeps getting in the way, talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are a common treatment for phobias. NHS: Phobias A therapist can help you practice, step by step, in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the phobia of long words called?

It’s jokingly called hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. The shorter, more serious term is sesquipedalophobia. Both mean fear of long words. Wiktionary: sesquipedalophobia

How many letters are in hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?

It has 35 letters and 15 syllables. The double-p spelling has 36.

Is it the longest phobia name?

It’s one of the longest you’ll see on phobia lists. The fear of 666, hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, is shorter at 29 letters.

Can fear of long words cause real anxiety?

The word is a joke. The fear it describes can be real for some people, usually tied to reading aloud or fear of embarrassment. A clinician would look at those symptoms, not the label.

If your child is afraid of long words

Don’t make them say the big word as a party trick. Read together at home where mistakes don’t matter, and praise effort over speed. If reading aloud at school is causing tears, stomach aches, or skipped days, talk to the teacher and, if needed, your doctor. Our guide on supporting someone with a phobia has more ideas.

When to get help

Talk to a doctor, school counselor, or therapist if fear of words or reading aloud is affecting school, work, or daily life, or if it brings on panic. Describe what happens rather than using the long name. For more odd phobia names, see our guide to the strangest named phobias.