Q&A for How to Pronounce the Longest Word in the English Dictionary

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  • Question
    What does pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis mean?
    Community Answer
    It's a disease of the lungs caused by dust or fine particles.
  • Question
    What are the symptoms?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If there are any symptoms, they could include shortness of breath, coughing, fever or a blue tint to the skin.
  • Question
    How many syllables does the longest word in the English dictionary have?
    Community Answer
    There are nineteen syllables in the longest word in the English dictionary: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
  • Question
    Is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis a contagious disease?
    Community Answer
    No. It is contracted by inhaling very fine ash or dust into one's lungs.
  • Question
    Why would anyone ever use that word, and why would anyone ever make a word that long?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    A scientist, epidemiologist or physician might have use for that word. Its length simply reflects the attempt to convey very specific information about a disease.
  • Question
    Is this word used often?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    No. It might be used (quite rarely) in a medical or legal setting.
  • Question
    What is a short way to say the longest word in the English dictionary?
    Community Answer
    The shorter version is "silicosis".
  • Question
    If I get this disease will I die, or is there a cure?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    According to Wikipedia, this disease (also known as silicosis) has no cure, although its symptoms can be treated in various ways. Silicosis has been known to result in death.
  • Question
    Do they remove it or give you medicine?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    As already noted, there is no cure. The disease is treated with oxygen therapy and steroids.
  • Question
    How can I use the word in a sentence?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Use it as you might use the words "pneumonia" or "bronchitis." For example, "Tests revealed that he is suffering from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."
  • Question
    How does the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis get abbreviated?
    Community Answer
    Go to Abbreviations.com and type in the word. It will tell you many abbreviations you can use, but the medical term for it is P45, probably because it has 45 letters.
  • Question
    Is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the longest word?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    For practical purposes, it's not really a word, just a series of made-up syllables invented to mean "great" or "wonderful." Even if it were a word, as explained in the introduction above, it would not be the longest English word.
  • Question
    Is there a synonym for the longest word in the English dictionary?
    Community Answer
    Yes, there are lots of synonyms for pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, but the shortest synonym for the word is lithiasis.
  • Question
    Would it not be more effective to use the smaller version of this word instead?
    Community Answer
    Of course it would. This is really only useful for those who want to show off that they know how to pronounce a very long word.
  • Question
    Is Brobdingnagian a real word?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It has become a "real" word, although it began as a fictional creation.
  • Question
    Is there any other longest word for a disease that scientists have used?
    Mega Lakota
    Community Answer
    No, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is indeed the longest word, still in use for medical purposes.
  • Question
    Why would anybody have to say this?
    Ruby
    Top Answerer
    While it may only be actually useful for a few people, it can simply be a good way impress people.
  • Question
    When was the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis invented?
    Alex
    Top Answerer
    The word was coined on February 23, 1935, and appeared in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary in 1939.
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