If you’re like me, then you probably enjoy challenging yourself with difficult words to spell. It’s just a fun game, right? wrong. Apparently, there are some words out there that even the most experienced spellers have trouble with. So if you’re looking to test your skills (or just feel inferior), here are 50 of the hardest words to spell in English.
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Hardest Words To Spell In English
Absinthe
Meaning: another term for wormwood
- They were absinthe drinkers, the kind who thought of themselves as artists.
Smaragdine
Meaning: emerald green
- The smaragdine gowns were all the rage that season.
Diaphane
Meaning: translucent
- She wore a diaphane dress that showed off her curves.
Verdigris
Meaning: the blue-green patina that forms on copper
- The verdigris was so thick, it was impossible to see through it.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Meaning: the act of estimating something as worthless
- He had such floccinaucinihilipilification for her that he refused to even speak to her.
Antidisestablishmentarianism
Meaning: the opposition to the withdrawal of state support for an established church
- The antidisestablishmentarianism movement was gaining traction.
Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Meaning: capable of achieving honors
- He was a honorificabilitudinitatibus man, through and through.
Incomprehensibilities
Meaning: things that cannot be comprehended
- The whole situation was one big incomprehensible
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Meaning: extremely good, fantastic
- This party is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Phenomenalistic
Meaning: relating to phenomena
- The phenomenon was so phenomenalistic that it defied explanation.
Rhinoceros
Meaning: a large, horned mammal
- The rhinoceros is an endangered species.
Esperanto
Meaning: a constructed language intended for international communication
- He was one of the few people who could speak Esperanto
Quizzical
Meaning: marked by or expressing doubt or perplexity
- She looked at him with a quizzical expression on her face.
Hallelujah
Meaning: exclamation expressing praise or thanksgiving
- Hallelujah, we made it!
Onomatopoeia
Meaning: the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is being named
- The onomatopoeic quality of the word “buzz” makes it perfect for describing the sound of a bee.
Carabiniere
Meaning: a member of an Italian police force
- The carabiniere was called to the scene of the crime.
Isthmus
Meaning: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas of land
- Panama is an isthmus that connects North and South America.
Consonant
Meaning: a letter of the alphabet that represents a speech sound that is not a vowel
- “B,” “c,” and “d” are all consonants.
Neonate
Meaning: a newborn infant
- The neonate was so small that she could fit in the palm of my hand.
Aioli
Meaning: a garlic mayonnaise
- The aioli was so strong that it made my eyes water.
Bourgeoisie
Meaning: the middle class, especially when considered to be materialistic or conformist
- The bourgeoisie is often critiqued for being too concerned with money and status.
Chaise longue
Meaning: a long chair, typically one with a headrest, for reclining in
- She stretched out on the chaise longue and closed her eyes.
Couloir
Meaning: a narrow gully on a mountainside
- The skier took the couloir between the two peaks.
Croissant
Meaning: a crescent-shaped roll of leavened dough, typically baked until crisp and flaky
- I had a croissant and coffee for breakfast.
Houghmagandy (British)
Meaning: sexual intercourse
- They were caught houghmagandy in the backseat of the car.
List of 50 Hardest Spelling Words
| 1 | Absinthe | 26 | Acquiesce |
| 2 | Aioli | 27 | Antediluvian |
| 3 | Appoggiatura | 28 | Autochthonous |
| 4 | Bourgeoisie | 29 | Carabiniere |
| 5 | Chaise longue | 30 | Chauffeur |
| 6 | Chiaroscurist | 31 | Chrysanthemum |
| 7 | Conscientious | 32 | Consonant |
| 8 | Couloir | 33 | Croissant |
| 9 | Cymotrichous | 34 | Demitasse |
| 10 | Diaphane | 35 | Elucubrate |
| 11 | Esperanto | 36 | Eudaemonic |
| 12 | Euonym | 37 | Hallelujah |
| 13 | Houghmagandy (British) | 38 | Idiosyncrasy |
| 14 | Incomprehensibilities | 39 | Isthmus |
| 15 | Laodicean | 40 | Liaison |
| 16 | Logorrhea | 41 | Neonate |
| 17 | Odontalgia | 42 | Onomatopoeia |
| 18 | Onomatopoeia | 43 | Pococurante |
| 19 | Precocious | 44 | Prospicience |
| 20 | Questionnaire | 45 | Quizzical |
| 21 | Rhinoceros | 46 | Smaragdine |
| 22 | Succedaneum | 47 | Surveillance |
| 23 | Unconscious | 48 | Ursprache |
| 24 | Vengeance | 49 | Verdigris |
| 25 | Vivisepulture | 50 | Xanthosis |
Related: Advance Vocabulary Words