You most probably already know now that Russian language is full of surprises: first, Cyrillic, then a challenging grammar with lots of exceptions, etc. In order to entertain you a little, we offer you an interesting task – try to read and say the longest words in Russian.

According to the Guinness Book of Records published in 1993, the longest Russian word was:

• Рентгеноэлектрокардиографического (33 letters, a masculine adjective in Genitive case)
  [ryen-tgye-na-e-lyek-tra-kar-deea-gra-FEE-chyes-ka-va]

It is a medical term which means “X-ray electrocardiographic” in English.

In  2003 the Guinness Book of Records published another longest word in Russian:

• Превысокомногорассмотрительствующий (35 letters, a masculine adjective)
  [prye-vi-so-ka-mno-ga-ras-mat-REE-tyel’-stvoo-yoo-sheey]

This word means a polite form of address to highest rank officials in the 19th century Russia, similar to Your Majesty.

Let’s look at some more examples. According to the Dictionary of Russian Spelling, another longest word in Russian is:

• Cельскохозяйственно-машиностроительный (38 letters, a masculine adjective)
  [syel’-ska-ha-ZYAYS-tvye-na-ma-shee-na-stra-ee-tyel’-niy]

It means “agricultural machine building” in English.

Here are some more words you might find interesting:

• Водогрязеторфопарафинолечение (29 letters, a masculine noun)
  [vo-da-grya-zye-tor-fa-pa-ra-fee-na-lee-CHYE-nee-ye] treatment with water, mud, peat and paraffin

• Частнопредпринимательского (26 letters, a masculine adjective)
  [chas-tna-pryed-pree-nee-MA-tyel’-ska-va] owned by a businessman or an entrepreneur

• Переосвидетельствующимися (25 letters, a participle)
  [pye-rye-as-vee-DYE-tyel’-stvoo-yoo-shee-mee-sya] derived from the word “reexamine”

• Субстанционализирующимися (25 letters, a participle)
  [soop-stan-tsee-a-na-lee-ZEE-roo-yoo-shee-mee-sya] derived from the word “substantialize”

• Интернационализирующимися (25 letters, a participle)
  [eenter-na-tsee-a-na-lee-ZEE-roo-yoo-shee-mee-sya] derived from the word “internationalize”

We hope you won’t get frightened of these examples of long Russian words. No need to worry! Not all Russian words are that long. However, you will most probably come across many other interesting and funny Russian words when you learn Russian language.

We’d like to ask you to share your experience about what long or interesting Russian words you have already come across? Do you know any long words in other languages?