What is a long words phobia and how does it affect a person?

It's possible you know somebody who suffers from the debilitating condition, known as a long words phobia. If not, you could soon be familiar with it in a personal context of your own.

A long words phobia is a fear or anxiety towards particular words that are considered to be too long or complex for one to pronounce. Sufferers of this condition can literally have an adverse reaction when they come into contact with these type of vocabulary. It can manifest as anything from irrational panic and extreme discomfort, to outright avoidance and the refusal to read or speak them aloud in any way shape or form.