Which word is longest?
You will compare three ordinary words before measuring their lengths. The program counts the characters you provide, so spelling and extra spaces matter to the comparison.
- Code
- Starter
- About 10 minutes
Grown-up needed: yes for choosing and supervising the coding environment
The film says 'Taz, on the Code tab'. In Taz today, choose Make, then Code, and pick Python.
What you need
- Paper and a pencil
- A grown-up-approved Python environment where the steps use code
- A grown-up
- Or the Maker Studio in Taz, in Python mode: open Taz, choose Make, then Code
The rule
Guess the longest before you run it.
How to do it
- Choose three words and write a length prediction for each.
- Write print(len("hippopotamus")) as a first example.
- Write separate print(len(...)) lines for your other two words.
- Check the spellings and remove unintended spaces.
- Run the three lines and compare with your predictions.
- Count the letters by hand to check one displayed result.
Why it works
For the simple English words in this example, len reports the number of characters in the Python string. Hippopotamus has twelve letters and rhinoceros has ten. A space inside the quotation marks also counts, even if you intended only a word. This function does not judge meanings or how difficult a word is to say. Some writing systems and combined characters need more care, so counting visible letters in every language is a broader problem than these plain examples.
Make it harder
- Compare two words of equal length.
- Predict the change after adding one space.
- Explain why the longest spelling need not take longest to say.
Ask Taz
- Why does a space count inside a string?
- Why is length different from meaning?
- Why should I check the spelling before comparing lengths?
The coding part of Taz is the Maker Studio.
For grown-ups
Choose and supervise the coding environment. The film names a Taz Code tab. In Taz today that is the Maker Studio: choose Make, then Code, and pick Python. Use ordinary sample words and numbers without personal details. Ask at dinner: “Which prediction did you check, and what change in the instructions would change that output?”
Taz is an AI and can be wrong, so stay close by. Read how safety works on Taz.
Show us yours
Film your hands and what you made, not your face or name. Ask a grown-up before posting anywhere else.
Questions parents ask
Can we begin without running code?
Yes. Write the predicted output on paper and trace the steps together. That gives you a comparison to use when a grown-up-approved Python environment is available. A prediction remains a prediction until you check the actual instructions and result.
What if an error appears?
Read the message with a grown-up and compare spelling, punctuation and indentation with the steps. Change one thing at a time and keep a note of what happened. An error is useful evidence about the instructions, not a judgement about the child.
Must we share the result?
No. Discussing the output at home is enough. Follow the privacy line above for optional online sharing.
More to try
See all Taz Challenges, or look through the science labs. One place for every why. Ask for early access at aitaz.com