What is the longest Spanish word?

Spanish has almost 100,000 words in its entire vocabulary, more precisely 93,000, according to data on the number of words found in the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary. There are words with only one letter, just as there are words with tens of characters.

If you are interested in knowing words that are really long and interesting to pronounce in the Spanish language, we invite you to continue reading this article. 

Here we will tell you the longest words in Spanish, some of which are even unknown to most Spanish speakers since they are not part of your everyday vocabulary. 

Know each of these words and dare to pronounce them, we will give you some tips to do so.

Some long words in Spanish

There are many long words, these are some examples of very long words in Spanish:

Caleidoscópico (Kaleidoscopic) 

This word refers to something changing or multiple, it is the adjective associated with the noun “kaleidoscope”, which is an object that has mirrors that form moving prisms. It is a kind of “toy” or entertainment item thanks to its optical effect. 

This word has its accentuation on the third syllable from right to left (có), so it is an esdrújula word (In Spanish “esdrújula”). It consists of 14 characters and 6 syllables, which are the following:

• Ca – lei – dos – co – pi – co. 

Paralelepípedo (Parallelepiped)

It is a geometric figure with 6 faces similar to a cube, of the “polyhedron” type, that is, a hexahedron, which is characterized by having a diagonal aspect. 

The word “paralelepípedo” has its accentuation on the third syllable from right to left (pí), so it is classified as an esdrújula word. It consists of 14 characters and the correct pronunciation is 8 syllables, which are the following:

• Pa – ra – le – le – pi – pe – do.

Alcalinotérreo (Alkaline earth) 

Alkaline ethers are elements that form group 2 of the periodic table, which are radium (Ra), strontium (Sr), magnesium (Mg), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), and calcium (Ca). 

This word also has its accent mark on the third syllable (like the previous ones), being classified as an esdrújula. It has a total of 14 characters and 7 syllables, which are as follows:

• Al – ca – li – no – te – rre – o

Ametralladora (Machine gun) 

This is a larger firearm than a rifle. It is automatic and fires continuously when you pull and hold the trigger. In Spanish it is also called “metralleta“. 

The word “ametralladora” has its soft accentuation on the second syllable, “do”, which is why it is classified as a flat word. Likewise, it also has 14 characters and 6 syllables, which are the following:

• A – me – tra – lla – do – ra

Arteriosclerosis (Arteriosclerosis) 

This is an infection related to plaque that accumulates inside the arteries and is one of the major indirect causes of death in the United States and other parts of the world. 

The word “arteriosclerosis” has its accentuation on the second syllable from right to left (ro), which is why it is a flat word. In addition, it has 16 characters and 6 syllables, which are the following:

• Ar – te – rios – cle – ro – sis

Commonly used long words

Although there are even longer words, the following are inspirational quotes in Spanish originally said, as far as we know, by Spanish speakers, like authors, writers, and famous people from the Hispanic world who have left their mark on literature to this day.

Most of these motivational quotes about life trying to make you reflect on life and your way of seeing it. Look at the quotes in Spanish that we bring you below and their meaning:

Electrodoméstico (Home appliance) 

They are electronic objects that are usually used at home, such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, stoves, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners, among others. 

This word is used in everyday language and a Spanish speaker has no problem recognizing it. “Electrodoméstico” has 16 characters with 7 syllables, and the penultimate (més) is the one with the accent. 

Learn how its syllables are divided below:

• E – lec – tro – do – mes – ti – co

Independentistas (Independentistas) 

They are a group of people who have different political, social, and cultural thoughts from the rulers of their country. Generally, they belong to a defined community and were born in the same place. 

An example is the Catalan separatists, born in the province of Catalunya, in Spain, who want all of Catalonia to separate from the Spanish government and become an independent republic. 

The word is used among writers and politicians, in addition to regular political followers. “independentistas” is the plural of “independentista”, and has 16 characters and 6 syllables, the penultimate syllable (tis), which is the tonic one. 

See how its syllables are divided below:

• In – de – pen – den – tis – tas.

Afrontamiento (Coping) 

It is the act of overcoming a challenge or difficulty through responsibility and/or management, adaptation, practice, or preparation. This word is also commonly used, as well as the verb that derives from it (to face).

“Afrontamiento” has 13 characters and 5 syllables, and the tonic syllable, or the syllable that marks the accent of the word, is the penultimate syllable (mien). 

Know how to pronounce this word in syllables like this:

• A – fron – ta – mien – to.

Representantes (Representatives)

Representatives are a group of people who act on behalf of an individual or a group. They are generally in charge of making an act of presence, giving information, or making agreements with representatives of other people, collectives, or groups. 

This word or its derivatives (representative, represent, represented,) are known and common in the Spanish language. “Representantes” has 14 characters and 5 syllables, being a flat word because its tonic syllable is the penultimate (tan). 

See how the syllables of this word are divided below:

• Re – pre – sen – tan – tes.

Administradores (Administrators) 

A manager is someone with a vision who is able to put all his knowledge of business planning, organization, direction, and control to use in a situation where his ends are aligned with the objectives of the organization or company. 

This word is the plural of “administrador” and is also widely known and used in Spanish. It has 15 characters and 6 syllables, and it is a flat word since the accent is on the penultimate syllable (do). 

Know how “administradores” is divided into syllables:

• Ad – mi – nis – tra – do – res.

The 6 longest Spanish words according to the RAE

Curiously, the longest words in Spanish according to the RAE are medical terms. Meet these 6 words between 18 and 23 letters, which are the words with the most characters in the Spanish language.

Electroencefalografista (Electroencephalographer)

The longest word. An electroencephalographer is an expert in using the electroencephalogram, which is a graph of brain activity made by a device called an electroencephalograph that records the electrical events that happen in the brain. 

In Spanish, this is the longest word according to the Royal Spanish Academy (the Spanish dictionary), with 23 characters. There is no longer word than this one. In addition, it has 10 syllables, the penultimate one (fis) being the one that marks the accent of the word, so it is a flat word. 

This is how the syllables of “Electroencefalografista” are divided:

• E – lec – tro – en – ce – fa – lo – gra – fis – ta.

Esternocleidomastoideo (Sternocleidomastoid) 

It’s a strong muscle on the side of the human neck, below the platysma muscle, and inside a sheath made by the deep cervical fascia’s investing layer. 

This word is well known in Spanish-speaking countries since children use it as a “tongue twister”. It consists of 22 characters and 9 syllables, the penultimate marks the accent, so it is a flat word.

Look at the syllables of “Esternocleidomastoideo” below:

• Es – ter – no – clei – do – mas – toi – de – o.

Electroencefalografía (Electroencephalography) 

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a neurophysiological test that records the bioelectric activity of the brain while the person is at rest, awake, or asleep, as well as during different activations (usually hyperpnea and intermittent light stimulation). 

This word has 21 characters and 10 syllables, the penultimate one (fí) being the one that marks the accent and has a tilde, so it is a flat word. 

Look at the number of syllables here:

• E – lec – tro – en – ce – fa – lo – gra – fi – a.

Electroencefalograma (Electroencephalogram) 

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) use small metal discs (electrodes) placed on the scalp to measure the electrical activity inside the head (in the brain). 

Neurons in the brain talk to each other using electrical impulses and are always working, even when you’re sleeping. Being very similar to 3 of the 4 previous words, this word has 20 characters and 9 syllables, and the one that marks the accent is the penultimate (gra), so it is a flat word. 

Learn how syllables are divided here:

• E – lec – tro – en – ce – fa – lo – gra – ma.

Otorrinolaringólogo (Otolaryngologist) 

A doctor who is trained to find and treat problems with the ears, nose, and throat. Also known as an “ENT doctor.”. This word is known as a native Spanish Speaker and is fun for the little ones. 

It has 19 characters and 9 syllables, being an esdrújula word, since it has its accent on the penultimate syllable (gó). 

See how the syllables of this word are divided so that you can pronounce it correctly:

• O – to – rri – no – la – rin – go – lo – go.

Electrocardiograma (Electrocardiogram) 

An electrocardiogram shows if your heart is beating at the right rate and with the right amount of force. It also shows how big the heart chambers are and where they are. 

An electrocardiogram that doesn’t look right could be a sign of heart disease or damage. This word has 18 characters and 7 syllables, as well as being a flat word since it has an accent on the penultimate syllable (gra). 

Know how their syllables are divided:

• E – lec – tro – car – dio – gra – ma.

Wrapping up

As you have seen, there are numerous long words in Spanish, and the longest Spanish word can only refer to medical matters. This is an interesting way to learn some words that even Spanish-speaking people have never heard, plus you could also see how they are pronounced, the number of syllables, and on which syllable the accent is stressed.

We hope you liked this article, and if you are interested in knowing the Spanish language in depth, at SpanishVIP we invite you to join this free Spanish lesson or have a 7-day trial in our group classes to continue learning Spanish every day and never stop talking, writing and reading in Spanish.