It is the fear that dare not speak its name. It is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.

Those afflicted are afraid of very long words, yet even as they attempt to lead normal lives, avoiding medical dictionaries and high-scoring Scrabble players, the very term that defines their condition hangs over their heads, terrifyingly polysyllabic.

Their irrational fear and the word that defines it has been catalogued by readers of New Scientist among a list of the most curious phobias to trouble modern man, as advertised by counselling companies promising a cure.

As readers delved deeper, a dictionary of phobias emerged that included some apparently reasonable apprehensions. There is nucleomituphobia, the fear of nuclear weapons, the fear of dentists (odontophobia) and a fear of the French (Francophobia).

Rhytiphobia, the fear of wrinkles, has surely plagued Hollywood actors, and pentheraphobia (fear of mothers-in-law) may have afflicted the late Les Dawson along with numbers of otherwise happily married men.

The dictionary of phobias appeared on the website of a US company selling alternative treatments. ChangeThatsRightNow.com details 1,500 phobias, including paraskavedekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th. It offers “one-to-one help” for about £1,200.

New Scientist was sceptical, noting that “phobias conspicuous by their absence included “fear of silly marketing” and “fear of repetitive websites”.

Yesterday, several British psychologists insisted that phobias existed for almost anything.

Robert Endelmann, a chartered psychologist and a patron of the National Phobics Society, said: “It’s not unusual for people to have unusual phobias. Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, is surprisingly common.”

Such phobias often develop after a traumatic experience. Emma Citron, a chartered clinical psychologist commonly treats elderly astraphobics, who fear thunder. “It reminds them of the Blitz,” she said.

Then there are learned phobias, that sufferers may have “caught” from friends or family, and there are phobias that may have a deep-rooted biological trigger. “Fear of the dark, fear of high places and fear of things that move quickly, such as spiders or snakes – it would have been useful for our ancestors to be afraid of such things,” Professor Endelmann said. For all that, there are phobias on the list that remain hard to explain. Lutraphobics are afraid of otters. Octophobics fear the number eight.

Then there are phobiaphobics who are afraid of phobias, and are surely caught on the horns of a terrible dilemma. In order to rid themselves of their phobia they would probably need to acquire another one.

Professor Endelmann is not convinced that phobias are multiplying. However, he did believe that “we have become probably more ready to apply a label to things. “However, from a therapeutic point of view, if someone has a problem with their life it probably doesn’t help to apply a label to it.”

The truth of this proposition becomes ever more apparent upon examining the roots of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.

Philip Durkin, principle etymologist for the Oxford English Dictionary, identified “sesquipedalian” (having many syllables) as the principle component. “The hippopotomonstro part is clearly someone adding hippopotamus and monstrous,” he said. “It doesn’t really follow linguistic rules. It’s sort of a joke. The label mocks the sufferer.”

Rex Northern, a senior practitioner for the US company CTRN acknowledged that he could not recall treating anyone who feared long words. He said the bulk of his clientele feared public speaking, flying, vomiting, heights or enclosed spaces. “I see a lot of people who fear driving over bridges,” he added.

It was left to Alexander Gardner, a psychologist, to sum up the proliferation of phobias. “I have a fear of Times reporters,” he said. “I have to go.”

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