Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by Mike Robinson

The fear of long words, or hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, is described as an intense and irrational fear of pronouncing long words. Long words phobia can occur even if an individual imagines having to pronounce long words.  

The fear of long words is the anxiety felt from the possibility of getting stuck when pronouncing certain words. The person with this phobia also fears embarrassment and being perceived as uneducated.

  This phobia mostly appears when the words used are uncommonly long and rarely used. Most times, they are related to areas of science or technology. The person with this phobia also often avoids using long words in casual or comfortable environments.

Characteristics of Long Words Phobia

As with the other specific phobias, several criteria characterize the fear of long words.

The Fear is Excessive

The fear that the person feels about having to pronounce long or complicated words is unreasonable. Having to pronounce long words should not cause these levels of anxiety.  

 The Fear is Irrational

The person who suffers from it is aware that their fear is irrational. They understand they should not feel this much discomfort but are still unable to control it.

Knowing their irrational feelings increases their insecurity and increases their anxiety. This knowledge makes them feel different from others.

 Fear is uncontrollable.

The person cannot control the fear, thoughts, and emotions he has before when faced with situations they fear. This usually causes greater discomfort, and they feel the problem is out of hand.

Displays Avoidant Tendencies

One of the reasons why long words phobia doesn’t go away is because of the avoidant tendencies the person sets in motion. You become afraid when you’re in a situation where you are likely to have to use the words. Therefore, you avoid the situation instead of waiting for that to happen.

Here are examples of situations that may cause avoidance:

• Skipping a meeting that you have to speak at
• Leaving a job that requires speaking in public,  
• Avoid situations involving technical language
• Decreasing or even eliminating social gatherings.

Each time the person avoids the situation instead of facing it, their fear increases. Instead, they should use the opportunity as an opportunity. Exposure to these feared situations will show them that it is not so dangerous or threatening.

Each time the person avoids the situation instead of facing it, their fear increases. Lose the opportunity to expose yourself to the feared scenario and learn that it is not so dangerous or threatening.

What Causes the Fear of Long Words?

As with most specific phobias involving irrational fears, there is no concrete and definite origin for the appearance of this fear. It is usually the sum of several factors or situations that leads to the disorder’s development.

In the case of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, the fear of long words probably goes back to childhood. For example, say someone cannot correctly pronounce a long word in a speech or conversation. If this results in being teased or mocked, then they can develop a fear of long words. 

Even if no one mocked or teased this person, they may still think they made a fool of themself. This belief leads them to refrain from using long and unusual words. 

In other cases, the origin may be that someone they admired and looked up to had this fear. When you observe another person living with this fear, and they experience ridicule, it could result in you getting a phobia. Even if they never experienced it. 

No matter the cause of long words phobia, social anxiety almost always accompanies it. And very often, other underlying problems appear.

These problems include:

• Insecurity
• Lack of self-confidence
• Feelings of inferiority 
• Low self-esteem
• Fear of failure

Signs and Symptoms 

Each person lives with their phobia differently. This means the symptoms they experience differ as well. But several common characteristics usually appear. These shared symptoms help determine if someone suffers from the fear of long words. 

Physical symptoms

Those who have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, or fear of long words, experience several bodily symptoms when they come into touch with their dreaded element.

Our body’s main systems experience these changes. In particular, fear of long words causes the central nervous system to become more active.

Each patient will likely have different physical symptoms brought. A person who suffers from the fear of long words will specifically exhibit a mix of the following physical signs:

• The heart rate has increased
• The pace of breathing becomes faster.
• Choking sensations or hyperventilation
• muscular strain and tension
• Excessive perspiration or chilly sweats throughout the body
• Headaches or stomachaches
• Feelings of being in a dream.
• Enlarging of the pupils
• Nausea, vomiting, and lightheadedness.

Emotional symptoms

Often the person imagines themself in a situation of mispronouncing difficult words and being humiliated. 

Additionally, there is a fear of having a panic attack or even fainting from rising tension. In most cases, the person can recognize that their anxiety is irrational and meaningless, but they can not control the emotions and discomfort he experiences.

Adverse Effects of Long Words Phobia

The main effect of having this phobia is that the person who has it lets this intense fear control them. This makes them feel less safe and lowers their sense of self-worth.

Most of the time, the subject will try to avoid or run away from situations where he has to use long words. Therefore they must give up many activities and, sometimes, their job. Also, social relationships are often affected, and the person becomes isolated to avoid discomfort.

Another repercussion is a sense of guilt. Even though they know their anxiety is unjustified, they abandon hobbies and relationships to avoid confronting it.

Typically, this results in feelings of shame and adds to low self-esteem since it is viewed as inferior and distinct from others.

Although it depends on each situation and the degree of the phobia, the individual’s emotional, social, or professional life tends to deteriorate.

How to Treat the Fear of Long Words

Like all phobias, there are several treatment options for fear of long words. The person’s recovery usually goes through therapy or a mental health professional consultation.

The areas of focus for the treatment depend on the symptoms that cause discomfort and the cause of the phobia. Also, in therapy, underlying problems such as low self-esteem, insecurity, a lack of self-confidence, or a lack of social skills are treated. 

Not only must we work to alleviate the symptoms that generate so much discomfort, but we also need to know the cause, and the origin of the phobia, to be able to solve the problem correctly.

It is also necessary to treat the avoidance behavior of situations that cause fear and discomfort. This behavior is responsible for reinforcing and increasing the fear, so it is essential to treat them.

Relaxation and breathing techniques are other proven methods of treatment. These techniques help the person to relax and control the symptoms before the feared situations.

Once the therapist has prepared the person, he begins exposing them to their fear. In other words, they must be exposed to situations requiring them to pronounce long words. By facing their fear, they will learn that these situations are not as challenging to deal with as they thought. 

Depending on the type of treatment, the exposure will be imagined or real. It can also happen gradually or all at once. In some cases, a combination of both techniques will be necessary. 

But the most recommended exposure is done in an actual situation and gradually. In the case of the treatment of this phobia, the use of drugs is not recommended. Medications mitigate the symptoms and reduce the discomfort the person experiences, but they do not treat or solve the problem. 

Also Read: Dermatopatofobia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Conclusion

The first step toward overcoming the fear is to acknowledge and identify it. The next step is to get assistance from a professional. Although the individual may be terrified of being different or having an enormous problem, the expert understands that his scenario is not unique and knows how to handle it.