# 50 US States or 46?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572 "2000-05-15T16:36:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BawitaBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BawitaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BawitaBob)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572/1 "2000-05-15T16:36:26Z")

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Is it true that technically there are only 46 “states” in the U. S. of A, and the other 4; Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, are “commonwealths?” If so, what is the difference, why are they different, and where can I find more information?

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**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2000, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572/2 "2000-05-15T16:49:51Z")

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Others on this board have asked much the same question.

Here’s a thread on this very matter:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14120](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14120)

Here’s another:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14640](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14640)

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**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572/3 "2000-05-15T16:54:17Z")

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And, more important, Cecil has weiged in on the question [Why is Virginia (and MA and PA and KY) called a commonwealth?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_307.html)

Knowledge, right there at your fingertips.

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**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2000, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-us-states-or-46/19572/4 "2000-05-15T18:23:35Z")

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To be concise, since the OP made the cardinal error of not reading every one of Cecil’s answers to every question:

There are fifty states. Four are named “commonwealth”, 46 are named “state.” For instance, New York is a state named “The State of New York” while Massatwoshits is a state named “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” They could call themselves “The People’s Republic of Massachusetts” (as some have suggested) and they’d still be a state.

Since no one else has brought it up yet, I must… the official name of Rhode Island is “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” apparently making it the longest official state name on the smallest state.