If you thought you'd head for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch but had second thoughts when you couldn't figure out how to say it - let alone spell it - who can blame you. The village sign is probably longer than its main street.
Welsh place names, with their double ls and their massed consonants that pile up like highway crash chain reactions are difficult to remember because they are almost impossible for non-Welsh speakers to say.
But help is at hand. The BBC Wales has put together a list of some of the most difficult to pronouce Welsh place names with linked audio files, so you can hear them spoken by native Welsh speakers. The list even includes Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychw... oh you get the idea. By the way, that's not just a long Welsh place name. It is, in fact, the longest place name in the world.
Visit BBC - Wales - What's in a name - How do I say? to get your tongue around Welsh place names. Save this link and visit it directly from your browser and you may also see the place names arrayed on a map of Wales. Enjoy.
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That’s awesome, thanks! I listened to several of them and confirmed that my understanding of Welsh pronunciation is actually not bad. As far as the longest one goes, I don’t know if hearing it actually helps with the pronunciation, but it sure is good for a laugh.