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Inspired by this

What is the longest word you can form by using other words arranged in alphabetical order, and making a ladder out of their letters.

Example: (8 letters - Identity)

  1. ice

  2. identical

  3. ideology

  4. inert

  5. test

  6. tiger

  7. ultra

  8. zygote

Rules:

  • The width of the ladder (which refers to the largest index of any letter in the series. For example, in the above series, the width is 3) should lie between 2 and half the length of the word (for example if the word(to be made) has 9 digits, then the width can be 2, 3, or 4 only)

  • The words need to be taken from English language only.

  • You may refer dictionaries, but no programming allowed.

  • Use of abbreviations and proper names is not allowed

  • In case of a tie, the series in which the last word ("zygote" in the example) comes earlier will be the winner.

  • (After @AHKieran's answer) The letter's index should follow a pattern like 12321232123 or 1234543212345 or 34543212345432 only. You cannot have the same index used of the consecutive words, and it is not important to start with the first letter of the first word, but the indices should be from 1 to the width of the letter only (in order).

  • You can use one word only once, and the word you are trying to make cannot be used in the series. (In the example, I cannot use "Identity" in the series).

May the longest word win!

BONUS:

Try making pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (I haven't checked if it's possible or not, but even I'll try making this)

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    $\begingroup$ In the example, the words are not in alphabetical order. 'rotten' and 'symbol' should come before 'test' $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 10:51
  • $\begingroup$ is the word which defines the maximum index the one going across for that particular instance or the word going down that we're trying to complete? $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:00
  • $\begingroup$ In your new example, you use the first letter of a word, i thought it had to be at least the second letter? $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:07
  • $\begingroup$ @AHKieran the width refers to how many indices the ladder formed spans. In the example, the letters used have indices 1, 2 and 3. So the width is 3. $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:11
  • $\begingroup$ Btw thanks @hexomino for pointing out the error. $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:12

3 Answers 3

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Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters, so long it's likely I made a mistake at some point)

amputee (3)
answer (2)
ear (1)
european (2)
familiar (3)
famously (4)
fecundation (5)
fictionalise (6)
floriculturist (7)
formalization (6)
fractional (5)
furrowing (4)
glance (3)
g-man (2) (not sure it counts as abbreviation)
ibis (1)
icon (2)
inroads (3)
intonation (4)
investment (5)
invincibility (6)
irreproachable (7)
irresponsive (6)
italicize (5)
junction (4)
justify (3)
kilogram (2)
lab (1)
libation (2)
license (3)
licorice (4)
malevolent (5)
meritocratic (6)
meticulousness (7)
microclimate (6)
miniaturize (5)
misnomer (4)
moonlight (3)
ocelot (2)
odd (1)
onion (2)
opiate (3)
opposition (4)
overshadowed (5)
oversimplify (6)
oversuspicious (7)

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    $\begingroup$ Impressive! And we're only at the letter O so there would even be plenty of room to continue if the word was longer :) $\endgroup$
    – Jafe
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 12:48
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    $\begingroup$ @jafe I could go for this one next! awesci.com/titin-protein-the-longest-word-in-english $\endgroup$
    – NudgeNudge
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 12:51
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    $\begingroup$ @NudgeNudge Given that word has 189,819 letters, and the English language only has 171,476 words (according to the OED), I believe that the pigeon-hole principle has mathematically disproved that one... $\endgroup$
    – Darrel Hoffman
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 13:17
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    $\begingroup$ as impressive as this is I don't think the one you labelled as abbreviated is in the dictionary :( $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 13:17
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    $\begingroup$ @AHKieran Was showing on Oxford online for me! en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/g-man $\endgroup$
    – NudgeNudge
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 13:21
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14 letters (couldn't resist):

ALPHABETICALLY

alphabet
alter
capture
cash
diaspora
ebony
eccentric
eternal
friction
frictionless
ghastly
glowing
lower
lynx

21 letters:

INCOMPREHENSIBILITIES

ibis
inaccurate
incarcerate
incompatible
incomplete
incomprehensible
incorrect
indeed
inheritance
lemur
natural
oscillate
painful
panbiogeography
panbiogeographical
pandalike
pandimensial
panther
prince
rest
stop

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  • $\begingroup$ This was fast with all the rules followed. Great work. But I'll still wait for some more answers. Maybe you can make an even longer word?! $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:26
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I tried going big...

antidisestablishmentarianism (28 letters)
aardvark
analysis
antidote
antimony
aphid
apnoeic
apposed
aqueduct
arsonist
atlas
atlatl
ebbed
e-l
e--i
e---s
e----h
e---m
e--e
e-n
et
a
But this is where it broke

Let's start off small:

CALCULATOR (10 letters)
aCtual
beArds
bLeak
caCkle
cUcumber
deLiminator
eAch
esTimate
fOster
Robots
This has a width of 3

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  • $\begingroup$ Uhmm. You need to make a ladder, so the consecutive words cannot have the letter of same index used. I'm sorry I didn't specify that in the question, but I'll do it now. $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:08
  • $\begingroup$ ah I understand now $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:12
  • $\begingroup$ Well.. You also need to include 1 in the order of the indices, as mentioned in the last point. So you can have the pattern like 23212321 but not 23232323. $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:18
  • $\begingroup$ better? @Natasha $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:21
  • $\begingroup$ You need to have a continuous pattern. So you need to have the index 1 throughout the pattern. Adding it at the last won't work. You can have the series of indices as 2321232312, not 2323232321 $\endgroup$
    – Eagle
    Commented Mar 12, 2019 at 11:25

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