It is possible that many may be unfamiliar with certain words in the English language, as they are either not commonly used or difficult to pronounce. A well-known example of such a word is “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” which appears in the 1964 film Mary Poppins and is used to describe something remarkably good or wonderful. Curious readers may be inclined to test this word on Google Translator, although it should be noted that some words are so unique that they cannot be easily translated. Nevertheless, exposure to uncommon words can prove beneficial, particularly for those preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic certification, as it is likely that they will encounter such words during their studies. Presented here are a few additional examples of such peculiar terms. 
 

Sesquipedalian – a person who uses long words 

Kerfuffle – commotion 

Antidisestablishmentarianism – opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England 

Collywobbles – discomfort or nervousness felt in the stomach (the famous butterflies) 

Skedaddle – to quickly leave or run away 

Widdershins – counterclockwise 

Perspicacious – this is difficult for them, but easy for Portuguese speakers – insightful 

Flummox – to confuse or perplex 

Discombobulate – to disorient or confuse 

Obfuscate – this one the IELTS loves – to obscure or make unclear 

Brouhaha – another word for “confusion” 

Fiddle-faddle – frivolous or nonsensical talk. Although not heard much, it is still used. 

Mellifluous – sweetly or smoothly flowing (especially for sounds) 

Gobbledygook – jargon or language that is difficult to understand 

Kerplunk – the sound of something heavy falling into water 

Whippersnapper – an arrogant person 

Blatherskite – a person who talks a lot but says nothing of value 

Snollygoster – unfortunately, we have many of these – a dishonest politician 

Let’s see how they sound in a sentence? 
  

That sesquipedalian professor used big words to impress his students. 

The movement of antidisestablishmentarianism was against the disestablishment of the Church of England. 

My collywobbles were causing me to feel nervous before my big presentation. 

During the robbery, the thief skedaddled as soon as the police arrived. 

The dancers performed a widdershins turn during their rehearsal. 

The perspicacious detective was able to solve the case.

The new manager’s leadership style flummoxed the employees. 

The difficult math problem discombobulated me during the exam. 

The lawyer’s argument was so convoluted it was hard to understand, it was like an obfuscation.

The recent brouhaha in the office was caused by a minor disagreement over the thermostat.

The politician’s speech was filled with fiddle-faddle. 

The singer’s voice was mellifluous and soothing. 

The technical document was filled with gobbledygook, making it impossible to understand. 

The sound of a gas plug falling into the pool made a kerplunk. 

The young intern was often referred to as a whippersnapper by the older employees.

The blatherskite’s constant talking was starting to irritate everyone around him. 

The snollygoster politician was only interested in his own gain. 

As previously noted, several of these words are categorized as archaic or are infrequently used in modern times. Nevertheless, they continue to be present in literature and academic discourse. The English language is renowned for its vast lexicon, and while the list of unusual words is considerably longer, the selection presented here is intended to pique interest. Readers are invited to contribute additional examples and share their personal favorites via social media platform @mindchat.idiomas.