The most difficult word to write

How confident are you of your spelling skills? We asked top academics and writing experts to give us their top 100 hardest words to spell they’ve seen in students’ writing assignments. Spellings is extremely importnant, not less than grammar. This is what they came up with tips and a list of 100 most difficult words.

Tips on How to Spell Hard Words

So by now, you’ve realized that you have made your share of spelling mistakes and are wondering what you need to do to be a better speller. These tips are the same ones we see young students participating in spelling competitions use when they tackle any of several hard English words to spell. Give them all a try to see which tips work best for you:

• Watch what others do.

  The first thing you may want to consider doing is looking at how others utilize different techniques to spell out difficult words. Start with the kids who compete in national spelling bees to get a sense of all the different things they do spell long or rare words correctly.

• Use your palms to spell.

  If you have scratch paper at hand you can always spell out the word as close as you can and then make corrections when you see what you feel can be wrong. Other than this, you can

• Consider the origins.

  The origin of words is a study known as etymology which traces a word’s lineage and existence to the first known use in written form. It is especially helpful to people wanting to learn how to spell words because you can trace root words and syllables.

Hard Words to Spell for 6th Graders

If you want to challenge yourself with very hard words to spell at the sixth-grade level, then this collection might be just what you’re looking for:

• Noticeable (Correct) / Noticable (Incorrect)
• Vacuum (Correct) / Vacume (Incorrect)
• Recommend (Correct) / Recomend (Incorrect)
• Occasion (Correct) / Ocassion (Incorrect)
• Beginning (Correct) / Begginning (Incorrect)
• Government (Correct) / Goverment (Incorrect)
• Committee (Correct) / Comitee (Incorrect)
• Mississippi (Correct) / Missisipi (Incorrect)
• Ancient (Correct) / Ainshent (Incorrect)
• Culture (Correct) / Culcher (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 7th Graders

In a time when spellcheck comes with every computer writing program, we may lose sight of terms in this list of hard words to spell:

• Chaos (Correct) / Kaos (Incorrect)
• Accommodation (Correct) / Accomodation (Incorrect)
• Strengthen (Correct) / Strengten (Incorrect)
• Misspelled (Correct) / Mispelled (Incorrect)
• Deceive (Correct) / Deseave (Incorrect)
• Receipt (Correct) / Receit (Incorrect)
• Arithmetic (Correct) / Arithmatic (Incorrect)
• Embarrass (Correct) / Embaras (Incorrect)
• Constitution (Correct) / Constatution (Incorrect)
• Encyclopedia (Correct) / Encyclopaedia (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 8th Graders

Here are hard to spell words spell for middle-school teenagers, particularly those in the 8th grade. Can you spell them without using spell-check?

• Pneumonia (Correct) / Neumonia (Incorrect)
• Acknowledgment (Correct) / Acknoledgement (Incorrect)
• Accidentally (Correct) / Accidentilly (Incorrect)
• Descendant (Correct) / Desendent (Incorrect)
• Exaggerate (Correct) / Exagerate (Incorrect)
• Courageous (Correct) / Corageous (Incorrect)
• Competent (Correct) / Compitent (Incorrect)
• Patriarch (Correct) / Patrearch (Incorrect)
• Pediatrician (Correct) / Pidiatrision (Incorrect)
• Picturesque (Correct) / Picturesche (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 9th Graders

In your first year of high school, you will likely encounter some of the hardest words to spell ever. Check out this list for 9th grade:

• Cavalcade (Correct) / Cavacade (Incorrect)
• Conscientious (Correct) / Consciescience (Incorrect)
• Fluorescent (Correct) / Florescent (Incorrect)
• Martyr (Correct) / Marter (Incorrect)
• Olfactory (Correct) / Ofactory (Incorrect)
• Facsimile (Correct) / Faximile (Incorrect)
• Gruesome (Correct) / Grewsome (Incorrect)
• Incessant (Correct) / Incessent (Incorrect)
• Reservoir (Correct) / Resavoire (Incorrect)
• Spasmodic (Correct) / Spasmodick (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 12th Graders

As you advance through educational levels, you will be introduced to more reading assignments and will grow your vocabulary. These are the hardest English words to spell at the 12th-grade level:

• Acquiesce (Correct) / Aquese (Incorrect)
• Ambiguous (Correct) / Ambiguus (Incorrect)
• Stringent (Correct) / Stringint (Incorrect)
• Evanescent (Correct) / Evansent (Incorrect)
• Querulous (Correct) / Quarelous (Incorrect)
• Spontaneity (Correct) / Spontenaity (Incorrect)
• Tenacious (Correct) / Tenashus (Incorrect)
• Divergent (Correct) / Divergeant (Incorrect)
• Resilient (Correct) / Resiliant (Incorrect)
• Renovation (Correct) / Renovashun (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for College Students

Technology has made learning the hardest words to spell a rare activity. This list of 10 terms is considered to be college-level. See if you’re able to spell them without help:

• Pharaoh (Correct) / Farow (Incorrect)
• Intelligence (Correct) / Inteligense (Incorrect)
• Didactic (Correct) / Didachtik (Incorrect)
• Pronunciation (Correct) / Pronounsiation (Incorrect)
• Gobbledegook (Correct) / Gobblydigook (Incorrect)
• Euphemism (Correct) / Yufamism (Incorrect)
• Abrogate (Correct) / Abrohgate (Incorrect)
• Demagogue (Correct) / Demagog (Incorrect)
• Facetious (Correct) / Faseshus (Incorrect)
• Hyperbole (Correct) / Hyperboly (Incorrect)

Common Words that Are Hard to Spell

This list includes common hard words to spell for adults. It’s surprising how so many people struggle but all you have to do is check the web for examples of this happening:

• Thorough (Correct) / Thorogh (Incorrect)
• Rhythm (Correct) / Rythm (Incorrect)
• Peculiar (Correct) / Pechuliar (Incorrect)
• Buffet (Correct) / Bufay (Incorrect)
• Liaison (Correct) / Liason (Incorrect)
• Anecdote (Correct) / Anechdote (Incorrect)
• Anonymous (Correct) / Anonimous (Incorrect)
• Collaborate (Correct) / Colaborate (Incorrect)
• Substantiate (Correct) / Substanchiate (Incorrect)
• Reconciliation (Correct) / Reckonsiliation (Incorrect)

Long Hard Words to Spell

Sometimes multisyllabic words that are hard to spell are difficult because we don’t think about silent letters that may appear anywhere. Check these out below:

• Grammatically (Correct) / Gramatically (Incorrect)
• Magnanimous (Correct) / Magnanimus (Incorrect)
• Metamorphosis (Correct) / Metamofisus (Incorrect)
• Satisfactorily (Correct) / Satisfactory (Incorrect)
• Surveillance (Correct) / Surveylance (Incorrect)
• Unanimous (Correct) / Unianomous (Incorrect)
• Reconciliation (Correct) / Reconsiliation (Incorrect)
• Procrastinate (Correct) / Procrastanate (Incorrect)
• Ostentatious (Correct) / Ostantatious (Incorrect)
• Camaraderie (Correct) / Comraderie (Incorrect)

Super Hard Words to Spell

These are really hard words to spell, even for the best English spellers in the world. As you can see most are words familiar to medical professionals and scientists, so unless you’re familiar with the field you are likely to have trouble with them:

• Syllepsis (Correct) / Sylepsis (Incorrect)
• Antediluvian (Correct) / Antidiluvian (Incorrect)
• Crustaceology (Correct) / Crustaciology (Incorrect)
• Epidemiologist (Correct) / Epidimialogist (Incorrect)
• Ophthalmologist (Correct) / Optamologist (Incorrect)
• Nephrology (Correct) / Nefrology (Incorrect)
• Entomology (Correct) / Entimology (Incorrect)
• Chiaroscurist (Correct) / Chiaraschurist (Incorrect)
• Logorrhea (Correct) / Logoria (Incorrect)
• Sacrilegious (Correct) / Sacriligious (Incorrect)

Easy Words that Are Hard to Spell

Finally, this last set includes hard words to spell that is considered easy. Take your time spelling these out because you may find yourself feeling a bit embarrassed if you make a simple mistake:

• Acquire (Correct) / Akwire (Incorrect)
• Argument (Correct) / Arguement (Incorrect)
• Maintenance (Correct) / Maintanence (Incorrect)
• Gauge (Correct) / Ghage (Incorrect)
• Memento (Correct) / Mamento (Incorrect)
• Occurrence (Correct) / Ocurrance (Incorrect)
• Questionnaire (Correct) / Questionaire (Incorrect)
• Sergeant (Correct) / Sargeant (Incorrect)
• Weather (Correct) / Wheather (Incorrect)
• Awkward (Correct) / Awkwerd (Incorrect)

What did you think of our list? Did you manage to spell the majority of them? As you can see, a lot of the mistakes come from simple mispronunciations of the words or syllables. This, of course, can be fixed with time and patience. We’re always available to assist you, so just get a hold of our customer support team and we’ll provide you with more tips and tricks to improve your spelling skills and get better writing jobs.

There are so many words with spellings that just don’t appear to make sense in the English language. Many students have many worries when writing an essay or paper with so many hard words to spell. Although we live in an age where autocorrect is the new fad, the importance of spelling correctly can not be denied. It is always hard to spell words that do not appear the way they sound.

To aid school graders, college students, and adults alike, we have some of the hardest words to spell. This list of hard words to spell spans across words that are hard to spell for all categories of students and adults. Are you ready to go through our list of very hard words to spell? Here’s our list of top 100 hardest words to spell. Let’s explore!

Hardest Words To Spell Ever

The English language could be a real pest, even for native speakers. Sometimes, the spelling of some words seems to slip out of our heads the very times we need them, while sometimes, we just don’t know how to spell some words and make funny typos.

There are many hard English words to spell. A word may be difficult to spell for many reasons. It could be because it is from a language very different from the English language, e.g., Afrikaans, Sanskrit, etc., or because the pronunciation is very different from the spelling. A word can also be difficult if it has a silent letter or more or a peculiar double letter. Here’s a list of some super hard word to spell!

1. Abacaxi
2. Abgesang
3. Aitch
4. Autochthonous
5. Chiaroscurist
6. Coelacanth
7. Kierkegaardian

Long Hard Words To Spell

1. Antidisestablishmentarianism
2. Floccinaucinihilipilification
3. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis
4. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
5. Psychoneuroendocrinological
6. Hepaticocholangiogastrostomy
7. Spectrophotofluorometrically

Easy Words That Are Hard To Spell

Surprisingly, some of the easiest words to spell in the English language often get misspelled. The words are usually so common and have been used so commonly that it’s unbelievable to know that many can’t spell it correctly – including you! So here’s a list of common words that are hard to spell.

1. Misspell
2. Pharaoh
3. Weird
4. Intelligence
5. Pronunciation
6. Handkerchief
7. Logorrhea

Hard Words To Spell For 6th Graders

If you are looking for a nice spelling challenge for a 6th grader, you’re in the right place. Take a look at these hardest English words to spell for 6th graders.

1. Noticeable
2. Vacuum
3. Recommend
4. Chaos
5. Accommodation
6. Accidentally
7. Strengthen
8. Pneumonia
9. Acknowledgment
10. Occasion
11. Descendant
12. Liaison

Hard Words To Spell For 7th Graders

Looking for a 7th grade selling challenge, here are some really hard words to spell for 7th graders.

1. Association
2. Atmosphere
3. Bicycle
4. Corollary
5. Confetti
6. Defalcation
7. Bizarre
8. Braggadocio
9. Echelon
10. Gelatinous
11. Panache
12. Xylem

Hard Words To Spell For 8th Graders

1. Condescend
2. Discernible
3. Concede
4. Assuage
5. Contemptuous
6. Imprudent
7. Conscience
8. Bazaar
9. Ferocious
10. Pistachio
11. Eloquent
12. Lucrative

Hard Words To Spell For 9th Graders

1. Stretch
2. Substantial
3. Superintendent
4. Pageant
5. Pamphlet
6. Parachute
7. Nuisance
8. Omitted
9. Tyranny
10. Unanimous
11. Vengeance
12. Villain

Hard Words To Spell For 12th Graders

1. Absolution
2. Acerbic
3. Adumbrate
4. Dearth
5. Encumber
6. Expunge
7. Insidious
8. Penurious
9. Resplendent
10. Saccharine
11. Scurrilous

Hard Words To Spell For College Students

1. Arctic
2. Australia
3. Caribbean
4. Euclidean
5. Presbyterian
6. Teutonic
7. Abysmal
8. Boulevard
9. Bouillon
10. Bourgeois

Hard Words To Spell For Adults

1. Acquiesce
2. Andragogy
3. Criterion
4. Holistic
5. Incongruous
6. Juxtaposition
7. Malapropism
8. Obfuscate
9. Onomatopoeia
10. Soliloquy

There are many spelling rules in the English language that often, it’s difficult to remember which applies. Learning how to spell hard words is a bane to students and adults alike. But don’t fret, we have some proven techniques that will make you conquer most words and spell them with ease.

It may be considered rather unfortunate that the old-fashioned rote memorization method remains the best way to learn how to spell the hardest words. However, memorization techniques have gotten better, making the learning process much more bearable.

There are several mnemonic training techniques and methods used by champion spellers worldwide, such as kinetic learning. This learning technique is the association of mental concepts with a series of movements which make learning much fun and retentive than mere repetition. So here are some tips for learning how to spell hard words!

1. Trace the Letters

   With one hand, track the letters on your palm as you pronounce them. This method is an easy way to apply kinetic learning. You use three learning pathways that reinforce the words in the memory. These are:

   • The motion of your mouth and lips
   • The movement of the fingers of one hand moving
   • The feeling of the motion on the other palm

   For a more active learning experience, you can engage the larger body. Also, movement makes more blood flow to the brain, making it more active and receptive.

2. Vocalize the Letters

   Another useful tool is to vocalize the letters of the words as you learn them. Repetition words by vocalization give those words a melodic feel, imprinting them more firmly on your mind, just like nursery rhymes. If used appropriately, this leaning method will help you recall words when other methods fail.
3. Design Short Study Sessions

   Short study sessions are usually more effective for long-term memorization. When you take breaks, the brain can refresh itself and get ready to take a new set of words without becoming overwhelmed.

4. Use Repetitive Drills

   It usually takes more than one repetition to get spelling correct consistently. Repeat the words you want to learn many times until it sinks into your mind and becomes melodic.

5. Group The Words

   This is another effective strategy for learning how to spell hard words. Grouping words imply that you put words that follow the same spelling pattern in a group. For example, words with “-ei-“combinations will follow the same pattern. Learning all similar words at the same time will help you build association and reinforce spellings. This method will help you to categorize words, which makes memorization much more manageable.

6. Read, Read, Read

   One of the best methods to learn how to spell words is to increase your reading. By merely reading and consuming a wide variety of books like wildfire, you’ll become a spelling champion without knowing it. Reading simply makes all the above rules much less confusing. You’ll also be able to build your intuition level and know just when a spelling looks wrong.

7. Have Fun

   Learning becomes easier if you can apply fun to it. Take the words you want to memorize and see how you can weave fun into it!

So here we are! 100 hard words to spell and how to learn to spell hard words. Wishing you luck in your spelling bee and life in general! If you need homework help, just contact our English assignment helpers.

What are Difficult Words?

Difficult words in English refer to terms that people find hard to understand, spell, or pronounce. How hard a word is usually depends on a person’s age, location, vocabulary, and knowledge of the English language.

Some of the hardest words in English are:

• Disparate
• Cajole
• Gregarious
• Ephemeral
• Ignominious
• Hegemony
• Quinoa
• Conscience
• Liaise
• Cupboard

Content creators should use difficult words carefully because they have the potential to change the meaning of the sentence.

They can also affect your readability. And, therefore, your ability to connect with your target audience. In this way, using too many difficult words or complicated sentences can also affect your ability to rank well in search engine results.

Remember: your goal is to write content that your audience can easily find and engage with. Understanding what your audience talks about and how they talk about it can help you write the best content for your target.

Most writers have a tough time using these words because they are either difficult to hear or say. Or, they might have deep meanings.

Hardest Words to Pronounce in the English Vocabulary

Once, a friend of mine spent almost an hour in the grocery store looking for a sauce. My friend’s wife asked him to buy Wuss-ter-sheer (Worcestershire) sauce.

Unfortunately, my poor friend could only find Wor-cess-ter-shayr sauce.

So, as you can see, some words are harder than others because they’re difficult to say.

In my example, the wife pronounced Worcestershire the right way. However, the husband read and say it differently, so it caused confusion.

Below are some examples of these commonly mispronounced words and the right way to say them.

Anemone

• Correct: aa-neh-mowniy
• Wrong: aa-neh-mown

Epitome

• Correct: ih-pit-uh-mee
• Wrong: epi-tohm

Boatswain

• Correct: boh-suhn
• Wrong: boht-sweyn

Debauch

• Correct: dih-bawch
• Wrong: de-botch

Colonel

• Correct: ker-nuhl
• Wrong: ko-lo-nel

Faux

• Correct: fow
• Wrong: fohx

Hegemony

• Correct: huh-jeh-muh-nee
• Wrong: hi-jeh-muh-nee

Genre

• Correct: zhahn-ruh
• Wrong: jen-re

Knell

• Correct: nel
• Wrong: kn-ehl

Mauve

• Correct: mahv
• Wrong: mohv

Ignominious

• Correct: ig-nuh-min-ee-uhs
• Wrong: ig-nuh-min-uhs

Onomatopoeia

• Correct: aa-nuh-maa-tuh-pee-uh
• Wrong: on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh

Salmon

• Correct: sa-mən
• Wrong: sal-mən

Cupboard

• Correct: kuh-brd
• Wrong: kap-bord

Posthumous

• Correct: paas-chuh-muhs
• Wrong: pos-chuh-muhs

Quinoa

• Correct: keen-wah
• Wrong: key-no-ah

Segue

• Correct: seh-gwei
• Wrong: se-ge

Niche

• Correct: neesh
• Wrong: nitch

Liaison

• Correct: lee-ei-zaan
• Wrong: lie-a-zon

All native English speakers might not use the same difficult words. Note that most words can be used differently in depending on the context, region, and dialect.

In addition, some of these words can have a variety of meanings within one dialect.

For instance, where Americans use the word “incomprehensible,”Australians might use “confusing.”Swedes might use “ugly,” while the British could use “rude.”

People in some English-speaking areas might have difficulty with one or two of these words, while others have none.

What Makes a Word Difficult?

What makes difficult words difficult is the fact that they are hard to write, say, or understand.

You’ve probably found yourself repeating a particular word several times in your writing before. Or, you may have rearranged the way you use a specific word to make sure you are using or saying it correctly.

Learning to write using difficult words is no easy feat. Even with a dictionary around, there are still so many words that are difficult to say and spell.

When using these words, always pay attention to what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.

Read More: What Are Some Tone Words?

Most Difficult Words in the English Vocabulary

Regardless of how well-versed you are in the English language, some words will still make you scramble for a dictionary. Here are some of them and their corresponding definitions.

Disparate

• Things that are essentially different there’s no basis for comparison.

Gregarious

• Sociable; one who likes company.

Cajole

• To persuade someone with gentle coaxing or flattery.

Acumen

• The ability to make sound and quick decisions.

Ephemeral

• Lasting for a very short time.

Florid

• Tinged with red; elaborate or intricate.

Beguile

• To charm someone, often in a deceptive manner.

Idyllic

• Picturesque in natural simplicity.

Juxtaposition

• Placing two or more objects side by side to compare and contrast.

Ostentatious

• Attracting attention by means of pretentious display, gaudiness, or obviousness.

Hiatus

• A brief pause or interruption in time or continuity.

Laconic

• Using minimal words.

Munificent

• Extremely generous or giving.

Nefarious

• Wicked or impious.

Quotidian

• Occurring daily; everyday.

Proclivity

• An inclination toward something; a tendency to do something regularly.

Sanctimonious

• A show of being morally superior to others.

Ruminate

• To think deeply about something.

Travesty

• A debased, distorted, or grossly inferior imitation; a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something.

Ubiquitous

• Present, appearing, or found everywhere; constantly encountered.

Most Commonly Misspelled Words in the English Vocabulary

We often misspell words because we tend to spell them based on how they sound when we pronounce them. Usually, words pronounced with silent letters or those that have repeating letters are the most difficult to spell.

How often do you misspell “Mississippi,”“accommodate,” or “committee?”

Correct spelling is crucial, particularly if you are a writer. One way to fix your spelling issues is by memorizing words you find hard to spell and using them as often as you can.

Or, you can use writing editors with spell checkers like INK or Grammarly. With that said, below are some of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language.

• Apparent
• Drunkenness
• Dumbbell
• Amateur
• Conscience
• Exaggerate
• Foreseeable
• Gauge
• Harassment
• Irresistible
• Judgment
• Knowledge
• Liaise
• Millennium
• Noticeable
• Occurrence
• Possession
• Questionnaire
• Referred
• Vacuum

Things to Remember Before Using Difficult Words

There are some words that are more appropriate in daily conversation. There are others that are more appropriate for writing.

There’s no fixed rule. However, this is a useful guideline to demonstrate your command of the English language.

We’ve all encountered difficult words, and we want to avoid them as much as possible.

In order to make your readers interested in what you’re trying to convey, you need to provide them with helpful and important information. To accomplish this, you have to choose your words carefully.

Words that are considered difficult words are very subjective. But, if you can use them in a way that is agreeable to you, then use those words in your writing.

Once you are certain that you’ve used your words appropriately, you can move on to writing for a specific target audience. Your goals and objectives will naturally influence your choice of words.

Also, you should consider cultural differences when choosing your words.

English is one of the most commonly used languages in the world. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s used in the same way as other languages.

So, if you’re planning to use difficult words in your writing, try to use them sparingly. This will help you improve your writing skills.

Sources:Lexico Powered by Oxford Americal College Dictionary / Merriam-Webster Dictionary / HowToPronounce Pronunciation Dictionary

Read More: How To Use Vocabulary To Boost Your SEO

Each of us has at least a word that just did not want to get into his/her head. Don’t lie. It could be a word for which you every time have to copy and paste the spelling, or just copy manually from a trustful source. Or it could be something you risk your life when pronouncing (you know the feeling, if you’ve read this article). Anyways, we have collected the most difficult Russian words for us, and want to share them with you!

Top 5 Hard-to-Write Words

Достопримечательность (“Tourist attraction”)

We choose not to pick Russian’s longest words simply because they are going to be of no use, but this beauty right here, you meet her quite often, especially if you are visiting Russia. The problem is mostly because of the quantity of Os and Es, which, as you know, when unstressed sound [a]s and [i]s.

Здравствуйте (quite formal “Hello”)

My pet peeve. Also known as всдравствуйте or здраствуйте, but only by friends. The abundance of consonants makes this word here one of the most renowned (feared?) Russian words.

В воскресенье (“on Sunday”)

The detached В at the beginning, the final combo ье, a bit unusual… The debate ought to be why this word should not be included in such a top list, not the opposite. The arguments against, like the unstressed Es, abound.

С удовольствием (“gladly”)

This is a common expression in Russian and is pretty arduous since it is hard to understand how to write it when your first hear it. Difficulties start with the “с” detached from the following word, which is quite inconvenient since it is pronounced altogether like the rest of Russian prepositions. But there’s more! You should also try to get the soft sign right after the “л” and remember that the accent is on the second “о” and then the final instrumental declension “ием”. Maybe after a while, when you get used to Russian pronunciation and cases, it is just easier. But until that, it is something you have to learn by heart…. or write on your arm before the test, if it fits in.

К сожалению (“unfortunately”)

This is another popular Russian expression and it is again something that they usually teach to beginners because it is very useful when you are speaking. But when it comes to writing it, if you don’t know a lot about the dative case or the prepositions, things could be quite hard for you. Should I write also an “и” in the end or is the “ю” sound enough? Is that thing I have heard after the “ж” an “е” or an “а”? Too many questions and just a few answers during the диктант moment!

Top 5 Hard-to-Pronounce Words

Pronunciation in Russian can be a nightmare, first of all because there are some exceptions which you just have to learn by heart. Secondarily, some features of Russian language make it harder to know how to pronounce a word. What about the fact that, a few days after you have started your Russian course, they take away all the accents from the texts you are going to read? This is actually normal, because Russian does not have graphic accents, but it is still pretty inconvenient to master long rows of consonants while you strive to remember where the accent is in that specific word. We have put together a list of words we struggled to pronounce at first, tell us if that was the case for you as well!

Соответственно (“accordingly”)

Well, this should be listed also under the most difficult words to write because it is troublesome also for native speakers. It is basically a bunch of “т”, “в” and “с” which should be pronounced one after another, and there is also the un tricky double “о” at the beginning. Where is the accent? Are the consonant voiced or voiceless? Am I wrong or the“т” are way too many in there?

Защищающийся (“defending”)

I think it is pretty clear why this word belongs here, and it is not just because it contains the “щ”, which after years of Russian courses is still pretty difficult to tell apart from the letter “ш”. It is namely because there are 3 of them and I still have troubles figuring out how one should articulate it and then utter something else as well! Like, is it possible to move again your tongue? Don’t you feel the need to take a break afterwards? The life of the Russian learner is never easy.

Жаворонок (“skylark”)

This word is used in Casual Russian to say that someone is a morning person… would you dare to say it or would you keep quiet? In itself the word is pretty straight-forward, but the problem comes when you don’t know where to put the stress. Three o’s? Come on… Luckily we’ve written about some of the tools you can use to find out how to pronounce it in the post Learn Russian with these 4 helpful websites.

Переосвидетельствующимися (“re-examining”)

Elvis Presley famously sang ‘you’ve came to the right place if you’re looking for trouble’. I think it goes without saying you’ve found trouble. 24 letters, a soft sign in the middle and a few nasty letter combinations at the end may even make the fluent Russian-speaker stumble. It transliterates to PEREOSVIDELTEL’STVUYUSHCHIMISYA and should be avoided by all means.

Среднестатистический (“average”)

A hard word to avoid, especially if you’re working or studying something that is related to numbers. The letters are not that difficult and there are no o’s to mess up your flow. However, this part of the word – ‘нестатистиче’ – will make you stutter a few times before you get it right.

This article is the summary of the struggle of 3 of our students, Chiara Frederik and Alessandro! If you feel like you need help to cope with those difficult Russian words, maybe our article 3 Apps to Learn Russian could help you in your fight! What do you think? Do you have a different “nightmare” word that you want to share with us? Feel free to comment and tell us what you are currently struggling to master in Russian or about an obstacle you overcame!

Read also: The Top 5 Russian Idioms You Should Know

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And, then come those complex words that don’t even enter our tongue, leave alone learning or using them. But why are those words there?

• For most English language exams, knowledge of these words can help you score easily

• Spell Bee often has the most difficult words to be spelled.

• There are vocab jams that happen – and they are actually fun!

• Some of the finest literary words use these words to describe something or someone accurately. These words are difficult but they convey the meaning in the most appropriate manner.

That’s why, I have compiled a list of top 15 words most difficult words in English. Hope you will enjoy learning these words –

1. Abstruse (adjective) – As the word is, it means difficult to understand. Most people often miss the ‘s’ after the ‘b’ or pronounce it without that same ‘s’. The word is pronounced as abs-troo-s (UK) or abs-tri-yoos (US). Example – These maths concepts are so abstruse.

2. Concomitant – this word can be used as a noun as well as adjective. Concomitant is something that happens naturally after another incident or something else. The word is derived from the Latin con + comit where con means with and comit means companion. The correct pronunciation of the word is – cun-com-i-tant. Example – I get a concomitant nervousness whenever I see him around.

3. Pococurante – Can be used as a noun and adjective both. The word refers to someone who is indifferent or unconcerned. It is pronounced as po-co-cyoo-raan-ti. The origin of the word is Italian, poco (little) + curante (caring). Example – His own pococurante attitude towards his own family eventually led to loneliness and depression.

4. Feuilleton – The word is pronounced as fa-ee-ton. Yeah, lots of silent letters. It refers to a part of a magazine or newspaper that contains light literature, criticism or fiction. Initially, it used to be referred for the supplement that comes along with the main paper. The word has been described as ‘Talk of the town’ by French editors. It was derived from the French word ‘feuille’ meaning leaf. Example – She got the job of writing feuilleton for one of the best newspapers of the US.

5. Laodicean – Refers to a person who is indifferent towards religious matters or politics. The word is pronounced as lay-o-di-see-an. The word has its roots from the Latin word ‘Laodicea’ which referred to the early Christians there. Example – He shows a Laodicean attitude whenever I talk about Donald Trump.

6. Brusque – Another adjective that means one who is abrupt or blunt in their speech or manner. The word has Italian roots from the word ‘brusco’ meaning sour. It is pronounced as ‘brusk’. Example – My mother could be a little Brusque sometimes, as she has so many things going on in her mind.

7. Albeit – Albeit is a conjunction that means ‘though’. The word is pronounced as ul-beet. The word came from the middle English word all be it. Example – His progress is consistent, albeit not enough to clear the entrance exam.

8. Idyllic – a perfect or ideal situation or place. For example, Paris is the idyllic vacation spot for newlywed couples. The word is pronounced as – i-di-lick. You can remember this adjective by thinking about ‘ideal’ meaning just perfect, extremely happy or picturesque.

9. Congruity – Congruity is a quality of appropriateness and being suitable. It is the same as we say ‘This pair of earring goes well with your dress. The ‘goes well with’ is the congruity. The word is pronounced as – con-groo-ity. Example, “The terms and conditions are in congruity with the company’s vision and policies.”

10. Surreptitious – An adjective that refers to something kept as a secret, because it would not be allowed or approved of otherwise. The word is pronounced as – ‘sur-ept-ishi-us’. The word originated from the Latin sub (secretly) + rapere (seize) meaning obtained by the suppression of truth. Example, “I don’t understand why they were so surreptitious about their marriage”. Surreptitious is often confused with superstitious, which is a totally different word.

11. Ubiquitous – The word means found or present everywhere. The word is pronounced as ‘you-bi-quit-us’. The word originated in the mid-19th century from the Latin word ubique meaning everywhere. Example, “Most people believe that God is ubiquitous.”

12. Liaison – The word is pronounced as ‘lee-ae-sun’ and refers to the communication between two more people or groups who work together. It can also refer to a person who helps groups to work with each other effectively. Example, “The lack of liaison between the departments of the organization led to its collapse.”

13. Lieutenant – The word refers to a rank of officer in the Army or Navy which is the second-in-command, just below the commander or captain. In British English, it is pronounced as – lef-tenant while in US English, it is pronounced as lee-you-tenant. The word finds its roots from the Latin locum (in place of) + teneris (holding). Example, “The Lieutenant General has not yet returned from his 10am meeting.”

14. Mendacious – It means not being truthful or lying about something. It is pronounced as men-day-shi-us. The word originated by adding ‘ious’ to the Latin word mendac, meaning lying. Example, “The mendacious propaganda started by some college students is taking ugly turn by the day.”

15. Camaraderie – A beautiful word, it means trust and friendship among people who spend lot of time and experiences together. It comes from the French word camarade. The word is pronounced as – cum-a-raa-dere. Camarade in middle French meant ‘roommate’ or ‘companion’. Example, “The camaraderie between the troops who came to rescue us was amazing”. Camaraderie is often confused with the word comradery, which though has the same meaning, has different origin and is newer to the English dictionary.

Hope you enjoyed learning new words today. Let us know if you want another word to be included in this list, and we will be happy to do so!