Sometimes just looking at a word can cause us to be baffled, and we may believe that there is no way we can spell that word without misspelling it. However, if you know how to properly pronounce these words and use them in conversation, you will undoubtedly impress everyone. So to help you make an impression by using some tongue twisting words perfectly in your daily conversation, we are here to assist. Here is a list of 10 very difficult and tongue-twisting English terms, along with their meanings and proper pronunciation that will make your English Language strong. Take a peek at them and learn something new.
How To Spell 10 Of The Most Tongue-Twisting Words And What They Mean
Even the best orators you know are likely to mispronounce these words.
- Lakshita Singh
- Editorial
- Updated - 21 Feb 2022, 17:02 IST
1 Sesquipedalian
Just like how the word looks, the word has a similar meaning, "using or characterized by the use of long words."
This phrase, which comes from 17th century Latin originally means 'a foot and a half lengthy,' which literally stands for 'long-winded' words like Sesquipedalian. And if you were thinking the word must have some lengthy and mysterial meaning, well, it's just 'long.'
Pronunciation: ses-qui-pe-da-lian
Use In Sentence: I am a sesquipedalian, and I make it a point to use a lot of long and lengthy words in all my conversations.
10 Scripturient
Scripturient is another one of the many words used by Shashi Tharoor that left us all puzzled and confused. As the man uses so many extraordinary words, he can make a whole dictionary of such words.
The meaning of Scripturient is "Having a strong urge to write".
Pronunciation: skrip-'tUr-E-ent
Use In Sentence: My scripturient soul couldn't stop myself writing about it.
2 Euonym
Euonym is a short word but can you pronounce it right in one go? Well try. The meaning of the word Euonym is "a name well suited to the person, place, or thing named".
Pronunciation: eu-o-nym
Use In Sentence: Fieldhurst's proposal is that Stratton join them in their attempt to save the world by discovering the "euonym" of humanity.
3 Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude is a combination of the German nouns Schaden, meaning "damage" or "harm," and Freude, meaning "joy." The meaning of the word is "joy over some harm" or "misfortune suffered by another".
Pronunciation: shahd-n-froi-duh
Use In Sentence: Aarya is a weird woman who takes joy in the suffering of others and often experience schadenfreude when her friend is miserable.
4 Floccinaucinihilipilification
If you're a regular follower of Shashi Tharoor's Twitter feed, you've probably come across several words in his conversations and tweets that have left you perplexed and wondering what he's talking about. Floccinaucinihilipilification is one of these words which he used in one of his tweets.
Anyone who first reads this word would assume that its meaning must be of big worth. However, contrary to that, the meaning of the word is "The action or habit of estimating something as worthless".
Pronunciation: floccī-naucī-nihilī-pilī-fication
Use In Sentence: This green colour chair would never match my room setting so I realized this floccinaucinihilipilification was just taking up space in my house.
5 Ignominious
Ignominious is a word that can be used more often. The meaning of the word is "making you feel embarrassed." The word is a synonym for dishonorable or despicable, which is perfect for talking about controversial politics.
Pronunciation: ig-ne-MIN-ee-us
Use In Sentence: Aditya has an ignominious reputation in the family because he divorced his wife and afterwards married her sister.
6 Antidisestablishmentarianism
The word antidisestablishmentarianism is one of the longest words in the English language. This word has 28 letters and 12 syllables, and remains one of the most tongue-twisting words. The meaning of the word is "being opposed to the withdrawal of state support from an established church".
Pronunciation: an-ti-dis-es-tab-lish-ment-ar-i-an-is-m
Use In Sentence: Those who opposed disestablishmentarians, and there were many, were thus supporters of antidisestablishmentarianism.
7 Vivisepulture
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, refers to "the practise of burying someone while they are still alive". Humans or animals may be buried alive by accident or on purpose. Others may mistakenly bury the person in the false belief that they are dead. Vivisepulture is one of the biggest fear for everyone.
Pronunciation: vivi-sepulture
Use In Sentence: The cruel killer resulted in vivisepulture by interring the live man in a grave.
8 Onomatopoeia
Have you heard of this term, which refers to words that imitate the sound they make? The word is- Onomatopoeia. The correct meaning of the word is "a word that actually looks like the sound it makes, and we can almost hear those sounds as we read".
Pronunciation: on-o-mot-o-PEE-a
Used In Sentence: When the sheeps do, “Baa Baa”, it is giving an example of onomatopoeia.
9 Indefatigable
Indefatigable means "never giving up or getting tired of doing something." Just like you are not ready to get tired of learning.
Pronunciation: in-di-ˈfa-ti-gə-bəl
Use In Sentence: The writer of that book is an indefatigable lady who works almost twenty hours every day.