There are scores of acknowledged phobias which have already been given long and impressive names.

Wrexham's Gareth Jones' fear of Scotch eggs is not one of them but Sitophobia – Fear of food is there, and bizarrely specific conditions like Arachibutyrophobia – Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth are also listed.

There are phobias covering almost every activity known to man from Clinophobia – Fear of going to bed and Ophthalmophobia – Fear of opening one's eyes to Ablutophobia – Fear of washing or bathing and even Fear of thinking – Phronemophobia.

There are some really strange fears recorded worldwide.
Here's just a few of the most unusual

Peladophobia – Fear of bald people
Batophobia – Fear of falling from high buildings
Chionophobia – Fear of snow
Helmintophobia – Fear of being infested with worms
Didaskaleinophobia – Fear of school
Ergophobia – Fear of work
Genuphobia – Fear of knees
Oneirophobia – Fear of dreams
Aulophobia – Fear of flutes
Nebulaphobia – Fear of fog
Dextrophobia – Fear of objects at the right side of the body
Levophobia – Fear of objects to the left side of the body
Nephophobia – Fear of clouds
Selenophobia – Fear of the moon
Thaasophobia – Fear of sitting
Trichopathophobia – Fear of hair
Panophobia – Fear of everything
Phobophobia – Fear of fear itself
and last, but far from least
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of long words!


Tell us what your phobia is by leaving a comment below and taking part in our online poll at the side of this page.