Jan

2

Scraunched

Filed Under S 

At ten letters long, this pseudo-onomatopoeic synonym for crunched is the longest monosyllabic word in the English language. All six of its closest rivals — scratched, screeched, scrounged, squelched, straights, and strengths — curiously also begin with the letter S, but each of them falls short of the champion of monosyllabry’s deliciously burnished mouthfeel. Just say it a few times and you’ll understand. How can so many letters voiced in a single beat be blended any more smoothly?

Peter Bukowinski

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