25 hilariously long Italian words to learn if you enjoy having fun

Italian is considered to be one of the most beautiful languages in the world, and hearing Italian words roll off the tongue can sound like music to the ears. But mastering Italian pronunciation takes some time and effort.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make the most out of practicing your Italian pronunciation, you’re in for a treat with this article, which features some of the longest words in Italian! Not only are they extremely fun to say, but some of them also give us a glimpse into popular Italian culture.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of the longest words in Italian, the shortest words in Italian, and a few catchy songs that might even make you want to dance. So, clear your throat and get ready to have some fun pronouncing these intricate mixes of vowels, consonants, and accents in Italian!

What is the longest word in the Italian language dictionary?

Are you ready to read the longest word in the Italian language? Drum roll, please! 

The longest non-technical word in Italian is precipitevolissimevolmente, coming in at 26 letters and 13 syllables.It was created by Francesco Moneti (1635-1712), a friar, astronomist, and satirical writer from Cortona. Today, he is remembered for having created the longest word in the Italian language, which appeared in La Cortona, one of his posthumously published works.

And guess what? Precipitevolissimevolmente is technically not even grammatically correct! 

Precipitevolissimevolmente meaning

If you’re scratching your head over what this word means (and how it’s pronounced), fear not! Let’s break up the word to see all of its different parts.The main adjective of this word is precipitevole, which means “precipitous”, or doing something in haste.Then, the “-issimo” ending is added to magnify the adjective. So, precipitevolissimo can be translated as “very precipitous”.

The last part of the word, “evolmente” is what makes this word grammatically incorrect, but it was added anyway for poetic flair. So, the “evolmente” substitutes the “o” and finishes off the longest non-technical word in Italian: precipitevolissimevolmente!

Fun fact: If you wanted to make this famously long Italian word grammatically correct, it would be “precipitevolissimamente,” with three fewer letters and one fewer syllable. But where’s the fun in that? 

How to pronounce the longest word in Italian

We know the background and meaning of the longest word in Italian, so now it’s time to pronounce it! Let’s break it down into three parts.preh-cheep-ee-teh / vo-lees-ee-meh / vol-men-tehAll together now: preh-cheep-ee-teh-vo-lees-ee-meh-vol-men-teh!

Can you believe that there’s even an Italian song titled Precipitevolissimevolmente? This might not be your go-to song to belt out in the shower, but it’s fun to listen to!

15 of the longest non-technical words in Italian 

Of course, there’s more than one long Italian word that we should explore. While there are a few words with 27 letters in this table, precipitevolissimevolmente remains the classic, popular “go-to” winner of the longest Italian word. Even if some of these long words aren’t that common in everyday Italian language, practicing the somewhat complicated mix of letters is an excellent way to bolster your spoken Italian.

1. precipitevolissimevolmente

• Pronunciation: preh-cheep-ee-teh-vo-lees-ee-meh-vol-men-teh
• IPA: pretʃipitevolissimevolmente
• English translation: Precipitously / in great haste
• Letters: 26

2. particolareggiatissimamente

• Pronunciation: par-tee-co-lar-eh-ja-tee-see-ma-men-teh
• IPA: partikolaredˈdʒatissimamente
• English translation: In great detail / very particularly
• Letters: 27

3. incontrovertibilissimamente

• Pronunciation: een-con-tro-ver-tee-bee-lee-see-mah-men-teh
• IPA: inkontroverˈtibilissimamente
• English translation: Incontrovertibly
• Letters: 27

4. sovramagnificentissimamente*

• Pronunciation: so-vra-ma-neef-ee-chen-tess-eh-mah-men-teh
• IPA: sovramaɲɲifitʃentissimamente
• English translation: Super magnificently
• Letters: 27

*This is a very rare word, created by Dante Alighieri

5. grammaticalizzassimo**

• Pronunciation: gra-ma-tee-cah-lee-zas-ee-mo
• IPA: ɡrammatikalidˈdzassimo
• English translation: Let’s grammaticalize!
• Letters: 20

**This is also extremely rare, and should only be used as a funny way to talk about wanting to practice grammar!

6. interconfessionalistiche

• Pronunciation: een-ter-con-fess-yon-ah-lee-stee-ke
• IPA: interkonfessjonalistike
• English translation: Interdenominational
• Letters: 24

7. anticonformisticamente

• Pronunciation: ahn-tee-con-for-mees-tee-ka-men-teh
• IPA: antikonformistikaˈmente
• English translation: Unconventionally
• Letters: 22

8. autoimprenditorialità

• Pronunciation: ow-toe-eem-pren-dee-tor-yal-ee-tah
• IPA: au̯toi̯mprenditorjaliˈta
• English translation: Self-entrepreneurship
• Letters: 21

9. professionalizzazione

• Pronunciation: pro-fess-yon-ah-leez-ya-zyo-neh
• IPA: professjonaliddzatˈtsjone
• English translation: Professionalization
• Letters: 21

10. architettonicamente

• Pronunciation: ar-key-teh-ton-eek-ah-men-teh
• IPA: arkitettonikaˈmente
• English translation: Architecturally
• Letters: 19

11. illusionisticamente

• Pronunciation: ee-loo-syon-ees-tee-ka-men-teh
• IPA: illuzjonistikaˈmente
• English translation: Illusionistically
• Letters: 19

12. abborracciatamente

• Pronunciation: ah-bor-acha-ta-men-teh
• IPA: abborrattʃataˈmente
• English translation: Awkwardly/sloppily
• Letters: 18

13. narcisisticamente

• Pronunciation: nar-chee-sees-tee-ka-men-teh
• IPA: nartʃizistikaˈmente
• English translation: Narcissistically
• Letters: 17

14. obbligatoriamente

• Pronunciation: oh-bleeg-ah-tor-ee-ah-men-teh
• IPA: obbliɡatorjaˈmente
• English translation: Compulsorily
• Letters: 17

15. caratterologicamente

• Pronunciation: cah-ra-teh-ro-lodge-ee-ka-men-teh
• IPA: karatterolodʒikaˈmente
• English translation: Characterologically
• Letters: 20

10 of the longest technical words in Italian 

If you’re curious to know some of the longest technical words in Italian, then this table of very complicated words is for you. Most of these words are chemical compounds, medical procedures, or scientific terms. But who knows, you might meet an Italian scientist and need to chat about aerotermoviscoelasticità someday!

1. aerotermoviscoelasticità

• Pronunciation: ah-eh-ro-tehr-mo-vees-ko-eh-las-tee-chee-tah
• IPA: aerotermoviskoelastitʃiˈta
• English translation: Aero-thermo-viscoelasticity
• Letters: 24

2. elettroencefalograficamente

• Pronunciation: eh-let-ro-en-che-fa-lo-graff-ee-ka-men-teh
• IPA: elettroentʃefaloɡrafikamente
• English translation: Electroencephalographically
• Letters: 27

3. anticostituzionalissimamente

• Pronunciation: ahn-tee-co-stee-too-zee-on-ah-lees-ee-mah-men-teh
• IPA: antikostituttsjoˈnalissimamente
• English translation: Highly unconstitutional
• Letters: 28

4. duodenocefalopancreasectomia

• Pronunciation: duo-den-oh-che-fa-lo-pahn-kreh-ah-sek-toe-mee-ah
• IPA: dwodenotʃefalopankreazektomja
• English translation: Duodenocephalopancreasectomy
• Letters: 28

5. esofagodermatodigiunoplastica

• Pronunciation: eh-sof-ah-go-der-mah-toe-dee-joo-no-plah-stee-ka
• IPA: ezofaɡodermatodidʒunoplastika
• English translation: Esophagodermatojejunoplasty
• Letters: 29

6. ciclopentanoperidrofenantrene

• Pronunciation: chee-clo-pen-tano-per-ee-dro-fen-an-treh-neh
• IPA: tʃiklopentanoperidrofenantrene
• English translation: Cyclopentane perhydrophenanthrene
• Letters: 29

7. pentagonododecaedrico-tetraedrico

• Pronunciation: pen-ta-gone-oh-doe-de-cah-dree-co-teh-tra-eh-dree-co
• IPA: pentaɡonododekaedrikotetraedriko
• English translation: Pentagon dodecahedral-tetrahedral
• Letters: 32

8. nonilfenossipolietilenossietanolo

• Pronunciation: non-eel-fen-oss-ee-po-lee-et-eel-en-ossee-et-an-oh-lo
• IPA: nonilfenossipoljetilenossjetanolo
• English translation: Nonylphenoxypolyethyleneoxyethanol
• Letters: 33

9. intradermopalpebroreazione

• Pronunciation: een-tra-der-mo-pal-peh-bro-re-ah-zyo-neh
• IPA: intradermopalpebroreattsjone
• English translation: Intradermal palpebroreaction
• Letters: 26

10. colangiocolecistocoledocectomia

• Pronunciation: co-lan-gee-oh-co-leh-cee-sto-co-leh-doe-check-toe-mee-ah
• IPA: kolandʒokoletʃistokoledotʃektomja
• English translation: Cholangiocholecystocholedoctomy
• Letters: 31

What is the longest Italian word without vowels?

Vowels are important in the Italian language and alphabet. In fact, almost all Italian words end with a vowel! Technically speaking, there aren’t any Italian words without vowels, but we can have the next best thing: long Italian words containing just one of the five vowels: a, e, i, o, or u. Two of them (the first and last) are verbs in the conditional form, and all of them are fun to say. Enjoy! 

What are long Italian words that use all of the vowels?

Now that we’ve looked at some long words that use just one vowel, how about some long words that use all of the five vowels? Nothing is impossible in Italian!

Again, practicing these words is a great way to master some tricky Italian pronunciation, so give it a go with this table below.

What is the shortest word in Italian?

Question: What’s the shortest Italian word? Answer: There are quite a few, and they’re extremely common!

One-letter words

This table contains the shortest words: prepositions, verbs, and articles. Since “a” in Italian can mean a few different things depending on the context, you’ll see a few different English translations.

Other short words in Italian

Don’t worry, the fun doesn’t stop at one-letter words. There are also two and three-letter words that you’re likely to hear and use in conversation. If you’re in the mood for even more short words, Italian slang, and abbreviations, you can find some funny Italian words here.

Before we wrap up this article, let’s listen to two fun Italian songs featuring hilariously long Italian words.

Supercalifragilistichespiralidoso!

Did you know that there’s an Italian version of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Marry Poppins is international…and dubbed in Italian! Check it out and notice the subtle differences in the vowel sounds of this famous song’s Italian counterpart.

Prisencolinensinainciusol…all right!

If you don’t know what prisencolinensinainciusol means, don’t worry -- nobody does, not even the singer: Adriano Celentano! This entire song is full of made-up gibberish, and the title alone has 25 letters. Celentano is known for his eccentric personality, and this song is well-known throughout Italy as a funny take on what the English language sounds like in an American accent.

Fair warning: it’s pretty catchy, and you might have it stuck in your head all day!

Saying goodbye…precipitevolissimevolmente 

Our exploration of long (and short) words has been fun, but now it’s time to bring this article to a close, precipitevolissimevolmente. When you’re finished practicing these fun, tongue-twister words, check out our other Italian articles and brush up on some more vocabulary. See you next time!