Ever wondered exactly what the longest place name is in Canada? Apparently , America's northern neighbor has its own share of incredibly long place names which are either a mouthful and a half or simply impossible to pronounce. In either case the first is certain to have some spelling difficulties with these names.
But so long as these Canadian names are, there are even longer names in New Zealand, Wales, and also the United States. Its strange how the longest names on the planet are native (or Welsh) names in mostly English speaking countries. If one has time on one's hands, try 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 it is a local Cree word for “where the wild trout are caught by fishing with hooks.”
It may be 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 never a location one is likely to visit with no reason.
- Length: 31 Letters
- Location: Northeastern Manitoba
- Longest: A long Unbroken Official Place Name In Canada
Kuchistiniwamiskahikan – Longest in Quebec
The second longest unbroken place name in Canada is Kuchistiniwamiskahikan. It's an island in Canada's Quebec provinence and is also a Cree name. It means English as something like “The island where boats entering the bay.”
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 could 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 really a small lake in Massachusetts near the border with Connecticut called Lake Char-gogg-a-gogg-man-chaugg-a-gogg-chau-bun-a-gung-a-maugg. The lake is situated in the town of Webster, Massachusetts. Since 1921 the lake is known with a considerably longer name from the shorter one previously.
This is by far a long name in the United States with some 58 characters, as the second longest is “only” 18 characters long. Have luck with getting it out fluently in one mouthful!
Webster Lake is the most widely used name through 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 really a large village and a local government community around the island of Anglesey in Wales. Frequently it's said to be a long place name on the planet, but that's wrong. It's the second longest place name because the longest is in fact in New Zealand.
- Length: 58 Characters with 18 Syllables
- Second Longest: It's the Second Longest A word Place Name In The World
Other shorter forms of the name are “Llanfairpwllgwyngyll” or “Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll.” Welsh famously has numerous unfamiliar consonant sounds which are very hard for individuals to speak. “LL” in Welsh is an extremely tricky sound to obtain right – one will find educational videos on YouTube for how to create this sound. So good luck pronouncing this name if one is not a linguist!
Longest Place Name on the planet:
Wait for it… The longest place name on the planet is – Taumata-whakatangihanga-koauau-o-tamatea-turi-pukaka-piki-maunga-horo-nuku-pokai-whenua-ki-tana-tahu. Unfortunately the hill that bears the name is situated on private property so one can't visit with no owner's permission. But there is a sign on the road side for individuals to take pics of. It's certified by the Guiness World Book of Records as the longest name in the world.
In English, it translates to something similar to:
“the place where Tamatea, the man using the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, referred to as 'landeater', played his flute to his loved one.“
Like other longest names on this list you will find different versions from the name (shorter and longer versions – this verison may be the middle 85 character name).
- Length: 28, 57, 85, and 105 Character Versions – The 85 Character One is The Standard One Often Quoted
