6. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

No, the word above isn’t a sequence of random letters, but the name of a rare phobia that involves a fear of intimidatingly long words. Also known as sesquipedaliophobia, it’s one of the most unusual phobias, and its symptoms can vary from person to person.

Some people have a phobia of long words that are obscure, for instance, while others have a fear of long words that are multisyllabic. Some even fear words that are difficult to say out loud.

In either case, encountering very long words can trigger feelings of panic and anxiety. If you have this phobia, you may mentally lock up when confronted with these words. You may also limit your writing and speaking by brushing off textbooks by saying “I never did have a head for science” or “that author is too pretentious”.