Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
[ˌɬan.vai̯r.pʊɬˌɡwɨ̞n.ɡɨ̞ɬ.ɡɔˌɡɛr.əˌχwɨ̞rnˌdrɔ.bʊɬˌɬan.təˌsɪl.jɔˌɡɔ.ɡɔˈɡoːχ]
“the longest train station” in Welsh is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
This phrase is actually the specific name of a railway station in Wales, which is famous for having one of the longest place names in the world. In Welsh, the word for a train station is orsaf, while Gorsaf can also mean station and yw is the verb for "is".
Did you know?
- The station's name was actually invented in the 19th century as a publicity stunt to attract tourists to the area.
- The name describes a very specific landscape including a white hazel, a whirlpool, and a red cave.
- Many parts of the name rely on 'soft mutations', a grammatical rule where the first letter of a word changes based on the word preceding it.
Examples in context
- A yw rhaid i mi ddysgu Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?Do I have to learn Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
Example conversation
Elowen and Gareth are planning a trip around Wales.
- ElowenGadwn ni'n ymweld â Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?Shall we visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
- GarethYdyn nhw'n gallu ei wynebu?Can they handle it?
- ElowenYdy'n grys, Gareth!It is funny, Gareth!
- GarethDa iawn, gadwn ni fynd.Very well, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
