15 Frequent Symptoms of Fear of Long Words

One of the longest words in the dictionary is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. You might not know what it means, but it’s actually a medical term that’s about as ironic as it gets. The term means the fear of long words, and those who actually suffer from the condition would panic upon hearing the word. It might seem like a plot device fitting for a comedy movie, but this condition is actually very serious.

Those who suffer from it generally struggle to live their life out normally. There are various symptoms that could develop as a result of the condition. Studies have shown that treating the condition early on is the best way to get rid of it. That being said, you can’t treat it early if you don’t know that you have it. Without further adieu, here are eight common symptoms that you can use to diagnose the condition.

1. Difficulty Reading

As you can imagine, those who have a fear of long words are bound to have reading difficulties. This can often be mistaken for dyslexia. That being said, there are a few key differences between the two and there’s even a method of distinguishing one from the other. Those who have dyslexia find it physically difficult to make out words and their meaning.

In contrast, those who struggle to read due to a fear of long words are able to comprehend what the words mean but often read far slower due to their constant fear that they might run into a long word. They might even avoid reading altogether if their phobia of long words is particularly severe. If you notice that your child is experiencing this symptom then it might be a result of their fear of long words.