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Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch is only the second-longest place name in the world

And it’s not even close.

EARLIER THIS MONTH, the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch went viral (as it does every now and then), when Channel 4 weatherman Liam Dutton nailed its pronunciation on tv.

However, the town isn’t the longest place name in the world.

Its 58 letters puts it ahead of American lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg’s 45 and South African famr Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein’s 44, but as this infographic from Volunteering Solutions shows, it pales in comparison to a town in New Zealand.

longest place names infographic

Located on the country’s North Island, mountain Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (shortened to Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu) contains 85 letters. More than most text messages. The short versiAnd it’son has 57.

Here’s how that looks on a sign:

A Small Hill in New Zealand with a Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggg Name! SA_Steve SA_Steve

It is a small hill near Porangahau and the name translates as:

The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the slider, climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.

And you pronounce it like this:

Tiwaking Tiwaking / YouTube

So, there you have it.

Read: This Channel 4 weatherman absolutely nailed a tough pronunciation and the internet rejoiced

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Paul Hosford
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