# I found this interesting: There are only four countries on Earth with a one-syllable name. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967 "2011-05-15T05:54:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/61 "2011-05-15T22:44:17Z")
To determine how many syllables a word has, you: 1. Count the vowels 2. Drop the silent vowels 3. Subtract one vowel from every dipthong 4. The number of vowels you have left = the number of syllables in the word Therefore, Wales has just one syllable. (Now, whether it is a country or not, I have no freakin’ idea :D) mmm ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/62 "2011-05-16T01:50:08Z")
Chad, Greece, Spain, and France. ETA: I win. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/63 "2011-05-16T01:55:14Z")
Most people say “Iz-Real” instead of “Iz-Ray-El” so I guess Laos is one of those “It depends” country. I always say T-Chad anyway, because it’s just so much cooler that way > [@](#): > > I would be good > I’d never be bad > If only I could > Live in T-Chad > > Everything I’d give > And who could blame me > If I could just live > My life in Fort Lamy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/64 "2011-05-16T02:35:20Z")
What country’s name has the most syllables? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/65 "2011-05-16T02:45:46Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > It doesn’t because it’s two syllables. Eire is two syllables? Right. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/66 "2011-05-16T02:56:46Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Eire is two syllables? Right. Yes. FWIW anyone I know who has been in Laos has come back pronouncing it “Lao”, one syllable. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/67 "2011-05-16T02:58:32Z")
France Spain Chad Guam ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/68 "2011-05-16T03:05:28Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Yes. FWIW anyone I know who has been in Laos has come back pronouncing it “Lao”, one syllable. 🙂 That’s funny, everyone I know who has been in Spain keeps coming back pronouncing it Espana, one syllable I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/69 "2011-05-16T03:44:37Z")
> [@Baffle](#): > > In my dialect (confirmed by Wikipedia’s pronunciation recording) Wales has two distinct vowel sounds. ‘Way-ulls’. How do you pronounce it so it’s only one? Day-umn! Are you from Texas too? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/70 "2011-05-16T03:58:02Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Most people say “Iz-Real” instead of “Iz-Ray-El” so I guess Laos is one of those “It depends” country. I’ve heard Israel as pronounced as \*Iz-Ree-Ul \*and _Iz-Ray-Al,_ but I have never heard it with two syllables like _Iz-Real_. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/71 "2011-05-16T06:53:42Z")
Without looking: Laos Spain Greece Chad ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/72 "2011-05-16T07:03:34Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I’ve heard Israel as pronounced as \*Iz-Ree-Ul \*and _Iz-Ray-Al,_ but I have never heard it with two syllables like _Iz-Real_. The proper way to say it - with “proper” being defined as “not annoying to actual Israelis” - is _Iz-Rail_ or _Iz-Rah-Ale_. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/73 "2011-05-16T09:13:17Z")
My guesses would be Chad Guam Laos Zaire (but the last two are a little iffy in the vowel department) ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/74 "2011-05-16T11:19:15Z")
I thought it was Zaire, too (like zhare) but apparently it is ZYE AIR. Or something. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/75 "2011-05-16T11:26:21Z")
> [@Baffle](#): > > In my dialect (confirmed by Wikipedia’s pronunciation recording) Wales has two distinct vowel sounds. ‘Way-ulls’. How do you pronounce it so it’s only one? > > (Of course we call it ‘Lay-ohs’ too, but I knew better and that was one of the four I came up with. I missed Greece.) Having two vowel sounds doesn’t make it two sillables. Diptongs (sp?) are syllables with two vowel sounds; triptongs have three vowel sounds - but they’re still a single sillable. Which brings me to the pronunciation of Siam as one or two sillables: if you stress the SI- so much it separates from the -am it’s two sillables, if you pronounce it all together (siam, not see-am) it’s one. Eire read as if it was Spanish (which I’m sure is incorrect) has two sillables: EI-re 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/76 "2011-05-16T11:30:52Z")
I thought Siam was always si+am. If it were “sime”, then it would be one syllable…I’m still finding two in Siam…? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/77 "2011-05-16T11:42:49Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > What country’s name has the most syllables? Not a straightforward question, because do things like “Democratic Republic of the Congo” (eleven syllables) count? Many countries have long, formal versions of their names, such as “Kingdom of the Netherlands” rather than the more familiar “Netherlands”. However, in the case of DR Congo some kind of long form is necessary to distinguish it from the other Congo. I suppose we could ignore function words such as “the” and “of”, and non-unique words such as “republic” and “states”. In that case I think the winner might be Bosnia and Herzegovina (eight syllables not including the “and”). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/78 "2011-05-16T11:53:15Z")
And just to add that if we take the Anglicised official country name (according to Wikipedia), I reckon the winners are Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (sixteen syllables) and Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (arguably seventeen, depending on how you pronounce “socialist”). ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/79 "2011-05-16T12:22:06Z")
France Greece Spain I get pretty quickly. The 4th has me stuck unless it’s Yap. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967/80 "2011-05-16T13:27:23Z")
I can’t believe I blanked on France and Spain. Especially since I got Chad and Greece. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-this-interesting-there-are-only-four-countries-on-earth-with-a-one-syllable-name/581967.md?page=5)