Pneumonoultramicroscopic silicovolcanoconiosis

It’s the longest word in the English dictionary. It also happens to be a lung disease caused by inhalation of the silica dust formed in volcanoes. You’d think they would have come up with something simpler, right?

George
Frederick, MD

[note: word broken to avoid formatting problems]

4 comments to Pneumonoultramicroscopic silicovolcanoconiosis

Kotsengkuba

March 30, 2008 at 5:18 am

i learned this world from my engish teacher when i was in fourth year high-school. from then on pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovulcanoconiosis has been my favorite word

though i never had any use of the word except from bragging to my friends. i can pronounce the word without breathing.
sanna

February 25, 2009 at 11:19 am

We had to learn this word in 7th grade and I haven’t forgotten yet. I have always been so proud of knowing the longest word in English dictionary, just wish it was more useful! I bet Swedish or German has even longer words?
Christie

October 19, 2011 at 10:57 pm

Oh it’s terrible; being a Gen Y verging on Gen Z, I never get to learn ANY of the words listed on this site at school! And you usually never hear about them anyway; it’s almost like the words are dying out. Other kids my age don’t even understand what nostalgia is! I love words, and how they’re so interesting and very simple at times when you can see what different parts of the words mean.
360

January 2, 2012 at 3:34 pm

I learned it from my teacher in my first year at university.