Common long words A C Bowden 07/05/2026 1:36 AM
Common words are usually fairly short, but a few are long, and I wonder why they have not been eroded to something shorter. Some examples are:

characteristic
international
misunderstanding
opportunity
representative
simultaneous
superintendent
sympathetic (why not 'sympathic'?)
university

Note also the expression "lull into a false sense of security", which is surprisingly common in speech, considering its length (11 syllables).
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