Key Takeaways
- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words.
- Treatment can include cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words. The exact triggers are highly personalized; for example, some people fear long, multisyllabic words, and others, long, obscure words. Some even fear common words of moderate length.
Specific phobias like hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia affect between 3% and 15% of the population. Their relative rarity, however, does not change how devastating they can be for those who have them.
How Do You Spell the Fear of Long Words?
The spelling varies, sometimes with one ‘p’ in the middle (hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia) and other times with two (hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia). Both appear to be acceptable for use.
Symptoms of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Although some phobias lead to physical symptoms such as shaking, freezing in place, or sweating, symptoms of the fear of long words can be more subtle.
You might mentally lock up when confronted with particularly long words. Or, you might limit your speaking and writing, brushing off textbooks and scholarly works by saying “that author is too pretentious” or “I never did have a head for science.”
Children with hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia might develop school-related phobias or lose interest in their academics. Other possible symptoms associated with a specific phobia such as the phobia of long words include:
- A feeling of imminent danger or a need to escape
- Heart palpitations, sweating, or trembling
- Shortness of breath or choking sensation
- Chest pain
- Abdominal discomfort or nausea
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- A feeling of “going crazy”
- Tingling, chills, or a heat flush
The fear of long words is rare, and its symptoms can mirror those of many other conditions. Seek advice from a trained mental health professional if you suspect you have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.
Diagnosis of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), but a mental health professional might consider the criteria for a specific phobia when evaluating for a diagnosis of the fear of long words.
This criterion includes having a pronounced fear or anxiety around the phobia which, in this case, is long words. This fear or anxiety also:
- Often happens immediately upon encountering it
- Is out of proportion with how dangerous it actually is
- Causes the person to avoid it
- Lasts for six months or more
The fear of long words may be related to other fears of reading or writing. For example, bibliophobia (the fear of books) could be aggravated or caused by the fear of long words. Mythophobia (the fear of legends) also could be caused by the fear of lengthy, unfamiliar passages, particularly in older legends.
Another potentially related fear is metrophobia or the fear of poetry. By its nature, poetry often contains unfamiliar words and unusual phrasing that can strike fear in those predisposed to discomfort with long words.
Logophobia is the fear of words altogether. This might encompass only words with particular sounds, suffixes, prefixes, etc. or words at large.
Causes of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Anxiety disorders are thought to be caused, in part, by environmental factors such as experiencing a traumatic event. In terms of hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, a person may have experienced a traumatic event tied to a long word.
Research suggests that genetics may play a role as well. It’s not uncommon for patients with a phobic disorder to also have a family history of these types of conditions.
The DSM-5 adds that people with specific tempers, like behavioral inhibition, may be more at risk of developing a specific phobia. However, more research is needed to determine the risk factors for developing a phobia of a specific object, such as a long word.
Impact of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Like all phobias, the fear of long words can have a very real impact on a person’s daily functioning and quality of life. A college professor who is constantly exposed to lengthy words might have serious difficulties at work, for instance.
In the classroom, a young person with a fear of long words may experience anxiety that potentially leads to the development of a social phobia or feelings of isolation and depression. As they head toward adulthood, they may even choose a career path that provides less exposure to lengthy words, cutting their list of opportunities short.
Treatment for Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
If you are diagnosed with a phobia, there is treatment available to help manage your symptoms. Treating a specific phobia such as hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia may involve medication, psychotherapy, or both.
Medication
The most commonly prescribed medication for anxiety disorders are antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax (alprazolam), may be prescribed as well.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy are two types of psychotherapy that may be used to help treat the fear of long words. CBT helps identify and change negative thought patterns while exposure therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that involves facing your fears.
Coping With Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
If your phobia of long words is mild and doesn’t significantly impact your life, making a conscious effort to expand your vocabulary can help. Look for opportunities to learn new words through reading or everyday conversation.
Additionally, if you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up. Developing a level of familiarity with the word may help ease your symptoms of anxiety.
If your symptoms are more serious and impacting your daily life, professional assistance may be needed. A mental health professional can help you work through your fears and provide more coping strategies for managing your symptoms during the treatment process.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Anxiety & Depression Association of America. Symptoms.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).
National Alliance on Mental Health. Anxiety disorders.
Steinhausen HC, Jakobsen H, Meyer A, Jørgensen PM, Lieb R. Family aggregation and risk factors in phobic disorders over three-generations in a nation-wide study. PLoS One. 2016;11(1):e0146591. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146591
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