1,913 across. A chemical compound.

Wordsmith.org

Does anyone know the "chemical compound word" mentioned here as an example of the longest word in the English language?

Caveat lector : hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobics should not this link follow.

Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

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Does anyone know the "chemical compound word" mentioned here as an example of the longest word in the English language?

it's been posted here before -- FWIW.

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Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Smith. And my way is just as good as anyone else's!!

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Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Just the way it's spelled. That's the nice thing about Welsh, there's a one to one correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it's pronounced. The fact that it takes as long to explain how to pronounce the <ll> as it does to pronounce the whole word is irrelevant.

Getting back to the 1,913-letter word - if you allow the chemical representation of Tryptophane Synthetase (that's the common name of the protein so specified), you introduce another category of "words" and render moot your search for the Longest Word. I'm sure there are proteins with more than 267 amino acids, and as soon as you specify one the biochemists can make one still longer by tacking on an extra amino acid...

So there can't be a Longest Word, because there can't be a "biggest protein," any more than there is a "biggest number."

Sorry, folks.

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So there can't be a Longest Word, because there can't be a "biggest protein," any more than there is a "biggest number."

Sorry, folks.

Another cherished myth brutally wrestled to the ground...

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Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Just the way it's spelled. That's the nice thing about Welsh, there's a one to one correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it's pronounced. The fact that it takes as long to explain how to pronounce the <ll> as it does to pronounce the whole word is irrelevant.

Tip of tongue to just behind top front teeth - no palatal seal on tongue edges - unvoiced expulsion of air to both sides of tongue, releasing tongue tip in an ordinary Anglo /l/ sound. So it ends up summat like HHH~lan, or not unlike the /x/ at the end of loch.

oh yeah, and not to disabuse Fong's lovely theory but: the fair part is sounded more like 'vire' ('fire' with a voiced first consonant).

For a sound file (MP3) go to near the foot of this page - it's a full explanation and recording done for Welsh Radio International, an internet outlet run by my aunt (heard presenting, and learning the pronunciation!)

that's great, mav. thanks.

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that's great, mav. thanks.

I second that. Doesn't change the fact that the "language" is still one giant expelltoration, but.

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Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Just the way it's spelled. That's the nice thing about Welsh, there's a one to one correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it's pronounced. The fact that it takes as long to explain how to pronounce the <ll> as it does to pronounce the whole word is irrelevant.

Tip of tongue to just behind top front teeth - no palatal seal on tongue edges - unvoiced expulsion of air to both sides of tongue, releasing tongue tip in an ordinary Anglo /l/ sound. So it ends up summat like HHH~lan, or not unlike the /x/ at the end of loch.

Like I said.

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oh yeah, and not to disabuse Fong's lovely theory but: the fair part is sounded more like 'vire' ('fire' with a voiced first consonant).

Well, duh! If you want an unvoiced labio-dental fricative you spell it ff.

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For a sound file (MP3) go to near the foot of this page - it's a full explanation and recording done for Welsh Radio International, an internet outlet run by my aunt (heard presenting, and learning the pronunciation!)

I did not expect my jocoserious request for a prononciation of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (is there an abbreviation?) to be answered.

"Not bad... Could be a bit faster... I'd roll the r more" said Rachel Phillips-James. Wow! A hard task-master! I think your aunt did extraordinarily well.

Actually, I wouldn't know a Welsh consonant from a Southern Bantu alveolar click, but I enjoyed listening.

Thank you for the interesting post.

> I'd roll the r more" said Rachel Phillips-James. Wow! A hard task-master!

yep, they're famous for the way they roll their r's in Crymych! Glad it was of some interest.

I thnk we might find out a little bit about how some of the ladies roll their r's. You guys rolling yours doesn't do a thing for me!

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> I'd roll the r more" said Rachel Phillips-James. Wow! A hard task-master!

yep, they're famous for the way they roll their r's in Crymych! Glad it was of some interest.

I did a little research and found that the "rolling their r's" joke was outlawed in 1928, probably inspired by the 1927 outlawing of the bowling a maiden over joke by the Marlyebone Cricket Club.

Since Crymych has yet to attain the year 1928 this prohibition does not apply in this case.

and you should see the women - no wonder the sheep look worried!

[spraying tea e]