What are the word records for deletion?
language/english/spelling/relations.to.other.words/entire.word/deletion New
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Problem
What are the word records for deletion? (Spelling / Relations to Other Words / Entire Word) a. beheadment (delete first letter in a word to form another word) i. longest [6-198] v. for each letter, longest [6-88,181,198,213,13-159,14-219,15-155,16-96,220,17-85,23-214] b. curtailment (delete last letter in a word to form another word) i. longest progressive [7-168,9-62,11-152] c. delete letter from any position to form another word i. longest progressive d. alternating terminal elision (alternate between deleting first and last letters to form a word list), longest [8-87] e. terminal elision (delete first and last letters to form another word) i. longest [L118] f. dismembered (delete either first or last letters to form words) [7-168,213,8-87,174] i. longest g. delete consecutively repeated letters to form a word, longest h. letter subtraction (delete all copies of letter in a word to form another word) i. longest i. charitable (delete any letter to form another word) [4-171,5-53,109,8-109,M88] i. longest j. stingy (cannot delete any letter to form another word), shortest [5-54] k. delete-reverse [Neil Picciotto] i. longest l. sliding window (word that contains other words that first increase and then decrease in length), longest m. isodeletion (delete letter to form a word with the same letter pattern as another word) i. longest well-mixed [ Editor: question framed by the editor from the headings of the Taxonomy of Wordplay. ]
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[ Editor: from the Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com, retrieved 28 Oct 2026. Classes (common, uncommon, hyphenated words, phrases), scores, ties (-t) and the source codes in brackets are explained in language/english/word.records.introduction. ]
Sources: [L110,9-161,23-190]
a. beheadment (delete first letter in a word to form another word)
i. longest [6-198]
common words: preservationists = reservationists (16)
uncommon words: prestandardizations = restandardizations (19-t)
uncommon words: preacknowledgements = reacknowledgements (19-t)
phrases: asynchronous transmission = synchronous transmission (24)
ii. longest progressive [6-198,12-154]
common words: stabled = tabled = abled = bled = led = ed = d (7)
uncommon words: prestates = restates = estates = states = tates = ates = tes = es = s (9)
iii. longest double progressive [6-198,12-154]
common words: fireplaces = replaces = places = aces = es (10-t)
common words: immigrants = migrants = grants = ants = ts (10-t)
uncommon words: reafforesting = afforesting = foresting = resting = sting = ing = g (13-t)
uncommon words: rewarehousing = warehousing = rehousing = housing = using = ing = g (13-t)
iv. longest double [7-168,9-62]
common words: deinstitutionalization = institutionalization (22)
uncommon words: deinstitutionalizations = institutionalizations (23-t)
uncommon words: indistinguishablenesses = distinguishablenesses (23-t)
uncommon words: reinstitutionalizations = institutionalizations (23-t)
uncommon words: undistinguishablenesses = distinguishablenesses (23-t)
phrases: go in at one ear and out at the other = in at one ear and out at the other (28)
v. for each letter, longest [6-88,181,198,213,13-159,14-219,15-155,16-96,220,17-85,23-214]
vi. n-progressive, longest [6-198]
b. curtailment (delete last letter in a word to form another word)
i. longest progressive [7-168,9-62,11-152]
common words: lapsers = lapser = lapse = laps = lap = la = l (7-t)
common words: parsecs = parsec = parse = pars = par = pa = p (7-t)
common words: parsers = parser = parse = pars = par = pa = p (7-t)
common words: passers = passer = passe = pass = pas = pa = p (7-t)
common words: pastels = pastel = paste = past = pas = pa = p (7-t)
common words: erasers = eraser = erase = eras = era = er = e (7-t)
uncommon words: quadratics = quadratic = quadrati = quadrat = quadra = quadr = quad = qua = qu = q (10-t)
uncommon words: maximisers = maximiser = maximise = maximis = maximi = maxim = maxi = max = ma = m (10-t)
uncommon words: minimisers = minimiser = minimise = minimis = minimi = minim = mini = min = mi = m (10-t)
uncommon words: pindarised = pindarise = pindaris = pindari = pindar = pinda = pind = pin = pi = p (10-t)
uncommon words: pindarises = pindarise = pindaris = pindari = pindar = pinda = pind = pin = pi = p (10-t)
uncommon words: quintettes = quintette = quintett = quintet = quinte = quint = quin = qui = qu = q (10-t)
uncommon words: quintettos = quintetto = quintett = quintet = quinte = quint = quin = qui = qu = q (10-t)
ii. longest double progressive [9-62]
common words: canonically = canonical = canonic = canon = can = c (11-t)
common words: contentedly = contented = content = conte = con = c (11-t)
uncommon words: linguistically = linguistical = linguistic = linguist = lingui = ling = li (14)
iii. longest nontrivial [7-168,9-62]
common words: mitochondrial = mitochondria (13-t)
common words: hypochondriac = hypochondria (13-t)
common words: epiphenomenal = epiphenomena (13-t)
common words: underachiever = underachieve (13-t)
common words: steeplechaser = steeplechase (13-t)
uncommon words: ginglymoarthrodial = ginglymoarthrodia (18-t)
uncommon words: palaeodictyopteran = palaeodictyoptera (18-t)
uncommon words: ununderstandablest = ununderstandables (18-t)
phrases: phthalocyanine green G = phthalocyanine green (20)
hyphenated phrases: human T-cell lymphotropic virus I = human T-cell lymphotropic virus (28)
iv. longest double [7-168,9-62]
common words: disadvantageousnesses = disadvantageousness (21-t)
common words: straightforwardnesses = straightforwardness (21-t)
uncommon words: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosises = pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (47)
c. delete letter from any position to form another word
i. longest progressive
common words: colonizers = colonizes = colonies = colones = clones = cones = ones = one = ne = e (10)
uncommon words: centralisers = centralises = centralise = centralis = centrals = centals = centas = cents = cens = ens = ns = s (12-t)
uncommon words: lenticulated = lenticulate = lenticulae = lenticule = lenticle = lentile = lentil = lenti = leni = lei = li = i (12-t)
uncommon words: lenticulates = lenticulate = lenticulae = lenticule = lenticle = lentile = lentil = lenti = leni = lei = li = i (12-t)
uncommon words: generalisers = generalises = generalise = generalis = generals = general = genera = gener = gene = ene = ne = e (12-t)
ii. longest nontrivial
iii. longest double deletion
d. alternating terminal elision (alternate between deleting first and last letters to form a word list), longest [8-87]
common words: cloners = cloner = loner = lone = one = on = n (7-t)
common words: craters = crater = rater = rate = ate = at = t (7-t)
common words: graters = grater = rater = rate = ate = at = t (7-t)
common words: stoners = stoner = toner = tone = one = on = n (7-t)
common words: laments = lament = ament = amen = men = me = e (7-t)
uncommon words: escallops = scallops = scallop = callop = callo = allo = all = ll = l (9-t)
uncommon words: rescripts = escripts = escript = script = scrip = crip = cri = ri = r (9-t)
uncommon words: ketamines = etamines = etamine = tamine = tamin = amin = ami = mi = m (9-t)
uncommon words: upraisers = upraiser = praiser = praise = raise = rais = ais = ai = i (9-t)
e. terminal elision (delete first and last letters to form another word)
i. longest [L118]
common words: preoccupations = reoccupation (14-t)
common words: gratifications = ratification (14-t)
common words: revolutionists = evolutionist (14-t)
uncommon words: prestandardizations = restandardization (19-t)
uncommon words: preacknowledgements = reacknowledgement (19-t)
phrases: asexual reproductions = sexual reproduction (20)
ii. longest progressive [L118]
common words: braless = rales = ale = l (7-t)
common words: cleanse = leans = ean = a (7-t)
common words: cloners = loner = one = n (7-t)
common words: bracers = racer = ace = c (7-t)
common words: amasses = masse = ass = s (7-t)
common words: ashamed = shame = ham = a (7-t)
common words: beaters = eater = ate = t (7-t)
common words: craters = rater = ate = t (7-t)
common words: bothers = other = the = h (7-t)
... and 61 others
uncommon words: charoseth = haroset = arose = ros = o (9-t)
uncommon words: calamined = alamine = lamin = ami = m (9-t)
uncommon words: calamines = alamine = lamin = ami = m (9-t)
uncommon words: charosets = haroset = arose = ros = o (9-t)
uncommon words: charosety = haroset = arose = ros = o (9-t)
uncommon words: awakeners = wakener = akene = ken = e (9-t)
... and 25 others
phrases: strainings = training = rain in = aini = in (10)
f. dismembered (delete either first or last letters to form words) [7-168,213,8-87,174]
i. longest
common words: preservationists : reservationists & preservationist (16)
uncommon words: prestandardizations : restandardizations & prestandardization (19-t)
uncommon words: preacknowledgements : reacknowledgements & preacknowledgement (19-t)
ii. word torture or progressive dismemberment (word all of whose contiguous subsequences are words), longest
common words: fires : fire & ires & fir & ire & res & es & fi & ir & re (5)
uncommon words: amusers : amuser & musers & amuse & muser & users & amus & muse & sers & user & amu & ers & mus & ser & use & am & er & mu & rs & se & us (7-t)
uncommon words: brooses : broose & rooses & broos & ooses & roose & broo & oose & oses & roos & bro & oos & ose & roo & ses & br & es & oo & os & ro & se (7-t)
iii. word with no contiguous subsequence that is a word, longest
common words: suck (4)
uncommon words: xylyl (5)
iv. word with no subsequence that is a word, longest
common words: jib (3-t)
common words: try (3-t)
uncommon words: juju (4-t)
uncommon words: typy (4-t)
uncommon words: jynx (4-t)
g. delete consecutively repeated letters to form a word, longest
common words: interviewees = interviews (12)
uncommon words: multimillionairess = multimillionaire (18)
phrases: pharaoh's serpents' eggs = pharaoh's serpentses (20)
hyphenated phrases: human T-cell lymphotropic virus III = human T-cell lymphotropic virus I (30)
h. letter subtraction (delete all copies of letter in a word to form another word)
i. longest
common words: adventuress = adventure (11-t)
common words: hairinesses = harnesses (11-t)
common words: smatterings = mattering (11-t)
common words: unsheathing = unseating (11-t)
common words: worldliness = wordiness (11-t)
uncommon words: multimillionairess = multimillionaire (18)
phrases: chenodesoxycholic acids = chenodeoxycholic acid (22-t)
phrases: desoxyribonucleic acids = deoxyribonucleic acid (22-t)
phrases: knights grand commanders = knight grand commander (22-t)
phrases: le chatelier's principles = le chatelier principle (22-t)
ii. longest progressive [L116,6-210,23-131,216]
common words: erasers = eases = ass = a (7-t)
common words: titbits = ibis = bs (7-t)
uncommon words: restarters = estates = stats = tat = a (10-t)
uncommon words: sputterers = putterer = puerer = purr = pu (10-t)
uncommon words: tetrasters = erasers = eases = ass = a (10-t)
hyphenated words: passe-passes = paepae = papa = aa (11)
iii. each letter, each position [23-229]
i. charitable (delete any letter to form another word) [4-171,5-53,109,8-109,M88]
i. longest
common words: shoots : hoots & soots & shots & shots & shoos & shoot (6)
ii. progressive charitable (all contiguous and non-contiguous subsequences are words), longest
common words: ads : ads & ad & as & ds (3-t)
common words: bes : bes & be & bs & es (3-t)
common words: fas : fas & as & fa & fs (3-t)
common words: has : has & as & ha & hs (3-t)
common words: his : his & hi & hs & is (3-t)
common words: ill : ill & il & ll (3-t)
common words: gos : gos & go & gs & os (3-t)
common words: dos : dos & do & ds & os (3-t)
common words: ass : ass & as & ss (3-t)
... and 12 others
uncommon words: peats : peats & eats & pats & peas & peat & pets & ats & eas & eat & ets & pas & pat & pea & pes & pet & pts & as & at & ea & es & et & pa & pe & ps & pt & ts (5-t)
uncommon words: prees : prees & pees & pree & pres & rees & ees & pee & pes & pre & prs & ree & res & ee & es & pe & pr & ps & re & rs (5-t)
uncommon words: abyes : abyes & abes & abye & abys & ayes & byes & abe & abs & aby & aes & aye & ays & bes & bye & bys & yes & ab & ae & as & ay & be & bs & by & es & ye & ys (5-t)
uncommon words: pahis : pahis & ahis & pahi & pahs & pais & phis & ahi & ahs & ais & his & pah & pai & pas & phi & phs & pis & ah & ai & as & hi & hs & is & pa & ph & pi & ps (5-t)
j. stingy (cannot delete any letter to form another word), shortest [5-54]
common words: jib (3-t)
common words: try (3-t)
k. delete-reverse [Neil Picciotto]
i. longest
common words: retriever = reverter (9)
uncommon words: kinnikinnick = kinnikinnik (12-t)
uncommon words: kinnikinniks = kinnikinnik (12-t)
ii. longest progressive
common words: redcaps = spacer = recap = pace = cap = pa = a (7-t)
common words: deliver = revile = liver = evil = lie = il = l (7-t)
common words: redeems = seeder = redes = seer = res = er = r (7-t)
common words: redness = sender = redes = seer = res = er = r (7-t)
common words: spacers = recaps = space = caps = sac = cs = s (7-t)
common words: spacier = recaps = space = caps = sac = cs = s (7-t)
common words: streams = smarts = trams = mart = ram = ma = a (7-t)
common words: reliant = tailer = relit = tile = lit = ti = i (7-t)
common words: seaport = tropes = sport = tops = pot = to = o (7-t)
... and 4 others
uncommon words: animates = stamina = animas = samia = aims = sma = am = m (8-t)
uncommon words: asarones = senoras = sarons = soras = sars = sra = ar = r (8-t)
uncommon words: decalogs = solaced = decals = laced = deal = lad = da = a (8-t)
uncommon words: cinerins = sirenic = ineris = siren = neri = ire = er = r (8-t)
uncommon words: assuaged = degauss = suaged = degas = sage = eas = sa = a (8-t)
uncommon words: degreens = sneered = dreens = sneer = reen = nee = ee = e (8-t)
... and 52 others
hyphenated words: sanitises = sestinas = snitses = set-ins = snite = tins = sit = ti = i (9-t)
hyphenated words: steppings = snippets = step-ins = snipes = spins = snip = pin = ni = i (9-t)
l. sliding window (word that contains other words that first increase and then decrease in length), longest
e.g., PAST = P & PA & PAS & PAST & AST & ST & T
common words: fires : fi & fir & fire & fires & ires & res & es (5)
uncommon words: morales : mo & mor & mora & moral & morale & morales & orales & rales & ales & les & es (7-t)
uncommon words: amusers : am & amu & amus & amuse & amuser & amusers & musers & users & sers & ers & rs (7-t)
uncommon words: camises : ca & cam & cami & camis & camise & camises & amises & mises & ises & ses & es (7-t)
uncommon words: cathars : ca & cat & cath & catha & cathar & cathars & athars & thars & hars & ars & rs (7-t)
uncommon words: damaras : da & dam & dama & damar & damara & damaras & amaras & maras & aras & ras & as (7-t)
uncommon words: brooses : br & bro & broo & broos & broose & brooses & rooses & ooses & oses & ses & es (7-t)
... and 5 others
m. isodeletion (delete letter to form a word with the same letter pattern as another word)
i. longest well-mixed
common words: phenylketonurics = cytomegalovirus (16)
uncommon words: decipherabilities = underachievement (17-t)
uncommon words: copolymerizations = malacopterygians (17-t)
uncommon words: porphyrogenitisms = hydrodynamicists (17-t)
uncommon words: desulphurizations = pseudocharitable (17-t)
uncommon words: superastonishment = obdiplostemonies (17-t)
uncommon words: unaffordabilities = chemosterilizing (17-t)
... and 2 others
phrases: fractional equation = harbinger-of-spring (18-t)
phrases: mercury vapour light = crested guinea fowl (18-t)
phrases: ventriculographies = pigment bordeaux Ns (18-t)
phrases: norwegian elkhounds = plymouth porcelain (18-t)
phrases: topographic old ages = balance of payments (18-t)
ii. longest not well-mixed
common words: oversimplification & oversimplifications (19-t)
common words: overgeneralization & overgeneralizations (19-t)
common words: chlorofluorocarbon & chlorofluorocarbons (19-t)
uncommon words: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane & dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (32)
phrases: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate & nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphates (41)
iii. longest progressive
common words: phenylketonurics = cytomegalovirus = ambidextrously = endolymphatic = packinghouse = normatively = fulminates = hailstone = hurdling = belugas = bander = plots = trip = job = ey = e (16-t)
common words: acknowledgements = acknowledgments = acknowledgment = grandiloquent = packinghouse = normatively = fulminates = hailstone = hurdling = belugas = bander = plots = trip = job = ey = e (16-t)
uncommon words: immunohematologists = immunohematologist = immunohematologic = immunopathologic = immunopathology = confirmability = thermodynamic = packinghouse = normatively = fulminates = hailstone = hurdling = belugas = bander = plots = trip = job = ey = e (19-t)
uncommon words: anthropomorphitisms = anthropomorphitism = anthropomorphitic = anthropomorphite = anthropomorphic = anthroposophic = phlorizinizes = ambitendency = pulverizing = fulminates = hailstone = hurdling = belugas = bander = plots = trip = job = ey = e (19-t)
-- Taxonomy of Wordplay, www.questrel.com