A fear of long words can constitute a phobia, and it’s often referred to as hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, or sesquipedalophobia for short. This phobia may come with a variety of mental and physical symptoms that can create challenges in daily life. However, it can be possible to treat and manage the fear of long words through therapy. Exposure therapy is often especially helpful. One way to connect with a licensed therapist who practices exposure therapy may be through an online therapy platform.
The fear of long words: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
The fear of long words, which can be considered a phobia, is usually referred to as "hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia." A shorter way of referring to this fear may be “sesquipedalophobia."
"Sesqui" is a Latin that usually translates to "one and a half," and "pedal," also Latin, generally means "foot."
“Phobia” is commonly believed to be the Greek word for “fear."
Therefore, "sesquipedalophobia" can be translated to mean "the fear of one and a half feet," or fear surrounding a very long word.
Is the fear of long words real?
Those who experience sesquipedalophobia often feel anxious when confronted with long words, particularly if they are reading them out loud and must attempt to pronounce them. Because of the name used to describe this fear, their experience is often treated as if it isn’t serious, although it can be a very real phobia.
The long name for this phobia may not be purely ironic, however. Some believe that getting those living with sesquipedalophobia to say a long word to describe their experience may help them eventually overcome their fear of long words.
Moreover, the label for this phobia may be so long because it tends to encourage the technique of breaking it down into smaller parts to pronounce it. This process can help people see that they can do this with any of the lengthy words that give them discomfort.
Breaking down the word hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
The first section in the very lengthy "hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia" is “hippo,” or "horse" in Greek. Next comes "poto," which generally means “river.”
Moving on, "monstro," or monster, derives from the Latin term for a "monstrous being," or an entity that is otherwise massive and frightening.
"Sesquippedalio" is also derived from Latin and usually means something that "measures a foot and a half long."
Lastly, we have “phobia,” which typically means “extreme dread” in Greek.
Thus, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, when broken down, can describe something that is large and terrifying. When broken up into smaller parts, however, it may not feel as big and scary. This process of breaking down long words can make seeing them much less frightening for those experiencing this particular phobia.
What's the cause of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
When we develop a fear, it generally surfaces as a reaction to something that the brain perceives to be dangerous or deadly. If the dread surrounding this phobia is severe enough, the person may experience feelings of anxiety when confronted with lengthy words.
No one is usually born with hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. It is typically thought to be a learned fear that stems from a traumatic event. Most people who have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia don’t necessarily know when their panic started or what caused it.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
However, some of us may be more vulnerable to developing a fear if someone in our family has experienced extreme anxiety. A vulnerability to certain phobias can be an inherited or genetic trait, though the phobias themselves may differ among family members.
It is believed that hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia may also tie back to a person's educational background. It can be embarrassing to read things that you can't pronounce. Perhaps you have this phobia because you were never exposed to a lengthy saying that is actually quite common. Maybe your school did not have lengthy vocabulary words like this in its curriculum, or perhaps your family did not typically use words like this at home.
A lack of use or education regarding long words can contribute to severe anxiety and embarrassment, particularly when everyone else seems to know the meaning and pronunciation of a confusing or unfamiliar term, but you don't.
Once this reaction and phobia from the length of words has been established, the mind may then continue to perpetuate the fear.
What are the symptoms of this phobia?
As with anything that scares you, the symptoms surrounding hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia can be different for everyone. This is generally because everyone tends to react differently to fears. A person can have a physical, mental, and emotional reaction to a stimulus that causes terror. For instance, a person can react with severe anxiety, potentially experiencing a panic attack from merely seeing or thinking about lengthy words.
As far as physical symptoms are concerned, a person with a phobia of long words may experience the following:
- Shaking
- Crying
- Headache
- Accelerated heart rate
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Trouble reading, writing, or speaking
An individual may understand that they are experiencing an irrational fear, but they may still be unable to control or rationalize it. They may feel powerless over the grip that it may have on them.
How the fear of long words can be managed
Perhaps the worst thing about the phobia of long words is the hopelessness you may feel. This type of panic can be powerful. Left untreated, it could have far-reaching impacts, potentially even making you feel terrified to leave your own home.
Therapy is often recommended as the first step in treating the fear of long words. A typical treatment plan may include the following process: First, the person may be exposed to a long word. Then, they may progress to thinking about the fear, and then to speaking the words out loud.
Exposure therapy can be one of the most effective methods for treating phobias. Exposing a person gradually to longer and longer words can lessen the person's panic over time until they feel more comfortable with lengthy terms.
Benefits of online therapy
Experiencing fear of long words can make it difficult to seek the professional help you need. For example, some people may feel embarrassed to admit they have this phobia. It’s also possible some may feel scared to venture out in public, where they might be at risk of confronting the source of their phobia. Either way, online therapy can offer a solution by empowering you to get the professional help you deserve from the comfort of home, where you can speak to a therapist via video chat, phone call, or online chat.
Effectiveness of online therapy
A systematic review looking at the efficacy of online therapy for specific phobias found that it generally resulted in a significant reduction of phobia symptoms from pre-treatment to post-treatment. If you’re experiencing the fear of long words or any other type of phobia, please don’t hesitate to reach out for the professional support you deserve.