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Dictionary Project Kansas City
A Project Sponsored by
Reading Reaches, Inc. and Truman Heartland Community Foundation

  WHAT IS THE LONGEST WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE? 

Or should we ask,

WHAT FEATURE O F THIS DICTIONARY DRAWS THE MOST THIRD-GRADE COMMENTS?

 The word below is found on the back page of our dictionary, and the kids think that this is the most fascinating word in the world.  For the organic chemists, this is an enzyme with 267 amino acids.

This enzyme has 1289 Carbon atoms, 2051 Hydorgen atoms. 343 Nitrogen atoms, 375 Oxygen atoms and 8 Sulfur atoms.   So, displayed in a chemical notation, it looks like this:

C₁₂₈₉H₂₀₅₁N₃₄₃O₃₇₅S₈

  And spelled out it looks like this:

Meth-ion-yl-glu-ta-min-yl-ar-gin-yl-ty-ros-yl-glut-a-myl-se-ryl-leu-cyl-phe-nyl-a-la-nyl-a-la-nyl-glut-a-min-

yl-leu-cyl-ly-syl-glut-a-myl-ar-gin-yl-lys-y-glut-a-myl-gy-cyl-a-lan-yl-phen-yl-a-lan-yl-val-yl-pro-lyl-phen-yl-

al-a-nyl-val-yl-thre-o-nyl-leu-c-yl-gly-cy-las-par-tyl-pro-lyl-gly-cyl-li-so-leu-c-yl-glut-am-yl-glut-aminylseryl-

leu-cyl-lysyliso-leu-cyl-aspartylthreonyl-leu-cyl-iso-leu-cyl-glut-amylalanylgly-cyl-alanylaspartylalanyl-leu-

cyl-glut-amyl-leu-cyl-gly-cyl-iso-leu-cyl-pro-lylphenylalanylserylaspartyl-pro-lyl-leu-cyl-alanylaspartylgly-

cyl-pro-lyl-thre-on-yl-i-so-leu-cyl-glut-aminylasparaginylalanylthreonyl-leu-cyl-ar-ginyl-al-an-yl-phen-yl-a-

lan-yl-a-lan-yl-a-lan-yl-gly-cyl-valylthre-onyl-pro-lylalanyl-glut-aminylcysteinylphenylalanyl-glut-am-yl-

meth--i-on-yl-leu-cyl-alanyl-leu-cyl-iso-leu-cyl-arginyl-glut-aminyllysylhistidyl-pro-lylthreonyliso-leu-cyl-pro-

lyl-i-so-leu-cyl-gly-cyl-leu-cyl-leu-cyl-meth-i-on-yl-ty-ro-syl-a-lan-ly-las-par-a-gin-yl-leu-cyl-val-yl-phen-yl-

a-lan-yl-asp-ar-ag-in-yl-y-syl-gly-cyl-iso-leu-cyl-asp-art-yl-glut-a-myl-phen-yl-a-lan-yl-ty-ros-y-la-lan-yl-glut-

a-min-yl-cys-tein-yl-glut-a-myl-lys-yl-val-y-l-gly-cyl-val-y-las-par-tyls-ryl-val-yl-leu-cyl-val-y-la-lan-y-las-par-

tyl-val-yl-pro-lyl-val-yl-glut-am-in-yl-glut-a-myl-ser-yl-a-lan-yl-pro-lyl-phen-yl-a-lan-yl-ar-gin-yl-glut-a-min-

yl-a-lan-yl-a-lan-yl-leu-cyl-ar-gin-yl-his-ti-dyl-as-par-ag-in-yl-val-yl-a-lan-yl-pro-lyliso-leu-cyl-phen-yl-a-lan-

y-lis-o-leu-cyl-cys-tein-yl-pro-lyl-pro-lyl-as-par-ty-la-lan-yl-as-par-ty-las-par-ty-las-pa-rt-yl-leu-cyl-leu-cyl-

ar-gin-yl-glut-a-min-yl-i-so-leu-cyl-al-an-yl-ser-yl-ty-ros-yl-gly-cyl-ar-gin-yl-gly-cyl-ty-ros-yl-thre-on-yl-ty-ros-

yl-leu-cyl-leu-cyl-ser-yl-ar-gin-yl-a-lan-yl-gly-cyl-val-yl-thre-on-yl-gly-cyl-alanyl-glut-am-yl-a-spar-ag-in-yl-ar-

gin-yl-a-lan-yl-al-an-yl-leu-cyl-leu-cyl-lys-yl-glut-am-yl-ty-ros-yl-as-par-a-gin-yl-a-lan-yl-a-lan-yl-pro-lyl-pro

-lyl-leu-cyl-glut-a-min-yl-gly-cyl-phen-yl-a-lan-yl-gly-syl-i-so-leu-cyl-ser-yl-a-lan-yl-pro-lylas-par-tyl-glut-a-

min-yl-val-yll-ys-yl-a-lan-yl-a-lan-yl-i-so-leu-cyl-as-par-tyl-a-lan-yl-gly-cyl-al-an-yl-a-lan-yl-gly-cyl-al-an-yl-i

s-o-leu-cyl-se-ryl-gly-cyl-se-ry-a-lan-yl-i-so-leu-cyl-val-yl-ly-syl-i-so-leu-cyl-iso-leu-cyl-glut-amyl-glut-a-min-

yl-his-tid-yl-as-par-a-gin-yl-i-so-leu-cyl-glut-amyl-pro-lyl-glut-am-yl-lys-yl-meth-i-on-yl-leu-cyl-al-an-yl-a-lan-

yl-leu-cyl-lys-yl-val-yl-phen-yl-a-lan-yl-val-yl-glut-aminyl-pro-lyl-meth-i-on-yl-lys-yl-a-lan-yl-a-lan-yl-thre-on-

yl-arg-in-yl-ser-ine