Wednesday, February 25, 2009

More Than WORDS

Recently, while I was reading Readers Digest, I came across this:

With only 26 letters in the English alphabet, the combination to form words can get interesting...

"Aegilops"
The longest word with letters in alphabetical order.
It means goat grass.

"Queuing"
The longest run of vowels.

"Swims"
The longest word with 180-degree symmetry.

"Stressed & Desserts"
The longest words that can be reversed. (I like this the best!)

"Esophagographers"
The longest word in which all letters appear twice.
It refers to people who are experienced in radio-graphic visualisation of the oesophagus, using a swallowed radiopaque contrast medium.

"Strengths"
The longest word that has only one vowel.

"Stewardesses"
The longest word that can be typed with the left hand.

"Dermatoglyphics"
The longest word without repeating letter.
This word refers to the study of skin markings and patterns on fingers, hands and feet.

"Latchstring"
The longest run of consonants.
It means a cord attached to a latch and often passed through a hole in the door to allow lifting of the latch from the outside.

"Screeched"
The longest one-syllable word

"Honorificabilitudinitatibus"
The longest word to alternate consonants and vowels.
This is a Latin word which can be translated as the state of being able to achieve honours"


Alphabet soup for the soul
Welcome to the 21st century!

Adapted from Readers Digest, February 2009 edition.

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