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up vote 7 down vote favorite

Another question on the site made me take notice that through is monosyllabic, but quite long. Are there longer monosyllabic words? What's the longest disyllabic word in English?

Edit: so, Wikipedia has a page for monosyllabic words, but none for disyllabic ones. Anyone can think of any long disyllabic example?

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2  
measured how? vocally, orthographically? – bmargulies May 5 '11 at 20:28
@bmargulies: orthographically – F'x May 5 '11 at 20:30
I've seen lots on monosyllabic words, but nothing ever on disyllabic ones. – Mitch May 6 '11 at 19:31
I'm guessing we aren't allowed to suggest, Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh! – Jon Hanna Jan 16 at 14:02

6 Answers

up vote 11 down vote accepted

From Wikipedia:

  • Strengths is the longest word in the English language containing only one vowel.

  • Rhythms is the longest word in the English language containing none of the five recognised vowels.

  • Schmaltzed and strengthed appear to be the longest monosyllabic words recorded in OED; but if squirrelled is pronounced as one syllable only (as permitted in SOED for squirrel), it is the longest.

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up vote 2 down vote

Scraunched Scroonched Strengthed

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2  
Despite your unembellished brevity, I think you may actually be on to something there. Alas, schmaltzed given separately) ties you. But these are all of the same form of a liquid *s (possibly palatalized) following by an optional stop and then a nasal or liquid, and finally given an -ed suffix. One might make something of that. – tchrist Jan 29 at 2:52
up vote 1 down vote

Assuming you don't allow hyphens for disyllabic words, the London street name Knightsbridge is 13 letters. (It is also one of the rare words with six consonants in a row.)

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up vote 3 down vote

http://braingle.com/news/hallfame.php?path=language/english/pronunciation/syllable.p&sol=1 gives "scratchbrushed" (14 letters) as the longest 2-syllable word. A more common word is "breakthroughs" (13 letters).

If you allow hyphens, perhaps "straight-stretched" (17 letters) is acceptable.

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up vote 0 down vote

Wikipedia has a nice list. Schmaltzed is probably the longest "real word", being in the OED, but it depends on what you consider standard / reputable.

I'm not sure about disyllabic words.

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Did you just equate “real word” and “being in the OED”? Courageous. – tchrist Jan 29 at 2:52
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@tchrist See the quotes and the caveat that follows? – Matthew Read Jan 29 at 3:37
up vote 9 down vote

Strengths is a nine-lettered monosyllable. And it is compulsory to mention that smiles has one mile between the two S's...

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1  
THWACK! (but +1 anyway) – Marthaª May 5 '11 at 20:31

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