We dare you to pronounce the name of this small town in Wales: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch. Good luck! You might be wondering what on earth possessed people to name this town the way they did. The answer may surprise you… or it might just make a ton of sense.

In the mid-1800s, the tiny town wanted to attract more tourists, so in the greatest PR stunt in history, the entire town opted to change their name to, well, you know. The ridiculously long name above.

While this town might be fun to visit (and to practice saying), one wonders what it might be like to actually live there. What about addressing letters? Or being on the local soccer team? Imagine trying to fit the 56-letter town name on a team jersey or a letter! Luckily, there’s a shortened version of the name… Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery. You know. Just the first 26 letters. Much easier to pronounce, right?

At first glance, you might think the name is a random assortment of letters designed to twist the tongue of tourists, but there’s actually a method to the madness. For starters, it’s in Welch, which can be a difficult language for those not familiar with it. The large name is actually a compilation of some of the most famous places in the town.

Let’s break it down: Llanfair: Church of St. Mary, pwllgwyngyll: In the hollow of the White Hazel, gogerychwyrndrobwyll: Near to the rapid whirlpools, llantysilio: And the church of St. Tysilio, gogogoch: And the red cave. Simple, right?

Find out more about this small town with the huge name in the video below!
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