Post by upfromsumdirt on Oct 11, 2009 14:09:39 GMT -5
Typewriter Words
TYPEWRITER (10 letters) can be typed using only the top row of keys on a standard keyboard. Other ten-letter words with this property are PEPPERROOT, PEPPERWORT, PERPETUITY, PEWTERWORT, PIROUETTER, PREREQUIRE, PRETORTURE, PROPRIETOR, REPERTOIRE, REPETITORY, TETTERWORT. If hyphens are allowed, then TEETER-TOTTER (12 letters) is possible, as is TEETER-TOTTERER (14 letters), although the latter is not found in dictionaries. Another possible 12-letter word, POWERTRIPPER, is also not in any major dictionary.
SHAKALSHAS (10 letters) is the longest word which can be typed using only the middle row of letters on the keyboard. Others include HAGGADAHS, FLAGFALLS, HADASSAHS, GALAGALA, GALAHADS, HASKALAH, and ALFALFAS.
The only dictionary word which can be typed using only the bottom row of letters is ZZZ (to indicate sleeping). (There are no vowels in the bottom row.)
AFTERCATARACTS, TESSERADECADES and TETRASTEARATES (each 14 letters) are the longest words which can be typed using only the fingers of the left hand, using the standard method of typing.
Using only the fingers of the right hand, one can type the 12-letter word JOHNNY-JUMP-UP (common name for a flower) including the hyphens, and also PHYLLOPHYLLIN (13 letters).
Subalphabetic Words
FICKLEHEADED and FIDDLEDEEDEE are the longest English words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet, each being 12 letters long. The 13-letter CABBAGEHEADED and ILLEFFACEABLE are not in dictionaries. Unfortunately, neither is HIGGLEHAGGLED nor GIBBLEGABBLED, also 13 letters each.
It is harder to make long words from the second half of the alphabet, as there are only two vowels, and these vowels are less common than those found in the first half of the alphabet. The longest is NONSUPPORTS (11 letters), although if place names are allowed then the 13-letter words TUTTOQQORTOOQ (in Greenland) and ROSSOUWSPOORT (in South Africa) are valid.
ACCEDED, CABBAGE, BAGGAGE, DEFACED, EFFACED, and FEEDBAG are seven-letter words which can be played on a musical instrument, that is to say they contain only letters in the range A-G. CABBAGED, at eight letters, is the longest such word.
TYPEWRITER (10 letters) can be typed using only the top row of keys on a standard keyboard. Other ten-letter words with this property are PEPPERROOT, PEPPERWORT, PERPETUITY, PEWTERWORT, PIROUETTER, PREREQUIRE, PRETORTURE, PROPRIETOR, REPERTOIRE, REPETITORY, TETTERWORT. If hyphens are allowed, then TEETER-TOTTER (12 letters) is possible, as is TEETER-TOTTERER (14 letters), although the latter is not found in dictionaries. Another possible 12-letter word, POWERTRIPPER, is also not in any major dictionary.
SHAKALSHAS (10 letters) is the longest word which can be typed using only the middle row of letters on the keyboard. Others include HAGGADAHS, FLAGFALLS, HADASSAHS, GALAGALA, GALAHADS, HASKALAH, and ALFALFAS.
The only dictionary word which can be typed using only the bottom row of letters is ZZZ (to indicate sleeping). (There are no vowels in the bottom row.)
AFTERCATARACTS, TESSERADECADES and TETRASTEARATES (each 14 letters) are the longest words which can be typed using only the fingers of the left hand, using the standard method of typing.
Using only the fingers of the right hand, one can type the 12-letter word JOHNNY-JUMP-UP (common name for a flower) including the hyphens, and also PHYLLOPHYLLIN (13 letters).
Subalphabetic Words
FICKLEHEADED and FIDDLEDEEDEE are the longest English words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet, each being 12 letters long. The 13-letter CABBAGEHEADED and ILLEFFACEABLE are not in dictionaries. Unfortunately, neither is HIGGLEHAGGLED nor GIBBLEGABBLED, also 13 letters each.
It is harder to make long words from the second half of the alphabet, as there are only two vowels, and these vowels are less common than those found in the first half of the alphabet. The longest is NONSUPPORTS (11 letters), although if place names are allowed then the 13-letter words TUTTOQQORTOOQ (in Greenland) and ROSSOUWSPOORT (in South Africa) are valid.
ACCEDED, CABBAGE, BAGGAGE, DEFACED, EFFACED, and FEEDBAG are seven-letter words which can be played on a musical instrument, that is to say they contain only letters in the range A-G. CABBAGED, at eight letters, is the longest such word.
