Pronunciation of 'Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis'
The word 'pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis' is a long medical term referring to a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine silicate or quartz dust. It is pronounced as 'ˌnjuːməˌnoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˌskɒpɪkˌsɪlɪkoʊˌvɒlkəˌnoʊˌkoʊnɪˈoʊsɪs' in English.
This word was coined in the 1930s as a deliberately long term to describe a specific type of pneumoconiosis caused by inhaling fine silicate or quartz dust. It is often cited as one of the longest words in the English language.
Pronunciation Details
English (United States)
A lung disease caused by inhaling very fine silicate or quartz dust, leading to inflammation.
Pronounced as 'NEW-muh-noh-ul-truh-my-kroh-SKOP-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-KAY-noh-koh-nee-OH-sis'. Break it down into smaller parts: 'NEW-muh-noh' (like 'pneumo'), 'ul-truh-my-kroh-SKOP-ik' (like 'ultramicroscopic'), 'sil-i-koh' (like 'silico'), 'vol-KAY-noh' (like 'volcano'), and 'koh-nee-OH-sis' (like 'coniosis').