Ever wondered what the longest place name is in Canada? It turns out that America's northern neighbor has its share of incredibly long place names that are either a mouthful and a half or just impossible to pronounce. Either way one is certain to have some spelling issues with these names.
But as long as these Canadian names are, there are even longer names in New Zealand, Wales, and the United States. Its strange how the longest names in the world are native (or Welsh) names in mostly English speaking countries. If one has time on one's hands, have a go at pronouncing these incredibly long names.
Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake - Longest In Canada
The longest unbroken place name in Canada is Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake. It is located in the Canadian province of Manitoba and is a native Cree word for "where the wild trout are caught by fishing with hooks."
Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake
It is the longest official one-word place name in Canada and is some 31 letters long. It is located close to Red Sucker Lake in northeastern Manitoba near the border with Ontario. A remote location and not a place one is likely to visit without a reason.
- Length: 31 Letters
- Location: Northeastern Manitoba
- Longest: The Longest Unbroken Official Place Name In Canada
Kuchistiniwamiskahikan - Longest in Quebec
The second longest unbroken place name in Canada is Kuchistiniwamiskahikan. It is an island in Canada's Quebec provinence and is also a Cree name. It translates into English as something like "The island where boats entering the bay."
Kuchistiniwamiskahikan
It is considerably shorter than Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik and "only" has 22 characters.
- Length: 22 Letters
- Location: Quebec Provinence
Longest Broken Place Names In Canada
While those names listed above may be the longest unbroken place names in Canada - they aren't the longest place names. The longest place names in Canada are:
Lethbridge, Morley's Siding, Brooklyn, Charleston, Jamestown, Portland, Winter Brook and Sweet Bay:
- Location: Province of Newfoundland And Labrador
- Number of Characters: 80 letters, 87 non-space characters
- What: A Local Service District
Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde:
- Location: Ontario
- Number of Characters: 61 letters, 68 non-space characters
- What: United Townships
- Cape St. George-Petit Jardin-Grand Jardin-De Grau-Marches Point-Loretto: A Communtiy in Newfoundland and Labrador
- L’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie-de-Nazareth: A Parish in Quebec
- Stanley Bridge, Hope River, Bayview, Cavendish and North Rustico: Municipality in Prince Edward Island
- Cours d’eau du Cordon des Terres des Sixième et Septième Rangs: A Stream in Quebec
- Cours d’eau de la Concession Sud-Est du Rang Saint-David: A Stream in Quebec
- Décharge des Neuvième Dixième et Onzième Concessions: A Stream in Quebec
Third Longest Place Name In The World
The longest place name in the United States is a small lake in Massachusetts near the border with Connecticut called Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. The lake is located in the town of Webster, Massachusetts. Since 1921 the lake has been known by a much longer name from a shorter one previously.
Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
This is by far the longest name in the United States with some 58 characters, while the second longest is "only" 18 characters long. Have luck with getting it out fluently in one mouthful!
Webster Lake is the most commonly used name by the locals in the area.
- Letters: 45 Letters
- Syllables: 14 Syllables
- Other Name: Also Known as Webster Lake
Second Longest In The World
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a large village and a local government community on the island of Anglesey in Wales. It is sometimes said to be the longest place name in the world, but that is wrong. It is the second longest place name as the longest is in fact in New Zealand.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
- Length: 58 Characters with 18 Syllables
- Second Longest: It is The Second Longest One Word Place Name In The World
Other shorter forms of the name are "Llanfairpwllgwyngyll" or "Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll." Welsh famously has many unfamiliar consonant sounds that are very difficult for people to speak. "LL" in Welsh is a very tricky sound to get right - one can find educational videos on YouTube for how to make this sound. So good luck pronouncing this name if one is not a linguist!
Longest Place Name in The World:
Wait for it... The longest place name in the world is - Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Unfortunately the hill that bears the name is located on private property so one can't visit without the owner's permission. But there is a sign on the road side for people to take pics of. It is certified by the Guiness World Book of Records as the longest name in the world.
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
In English, it translates to something like:
"the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater’, played his flute to his loved one."
Like other longest names on this list there are different versions of the name (shorter and longer versions - this verison is the middle 85 character name).
- Length: 28, 57, 85, and 105 Character Versions - The 85 Character One is The Standard One Often Quoted