Only one U.S. state has one syllable — Maine. It's also the only state to border only one other state — New Hampshire. No one is really sure where Maine's name came from. Some surmise that it was named after an ancient French province — the Province of Maine; others believe it was a derivation of the world "mainland." The word "Maine" was first officially used in 1665 in a request by the King's Commissioners that "The Province of Maine" be used in official documents.
More Syllabic Facts:
- Only five countries in the world have one syllable: Chad, France, Spain, Greece, Laos, though Wales might make six depending on how you pronounce it (Way-als).
- The most syllables in a state's name is five. Three states share this trait: Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
- Three states have only four letters in their name: Ohio, Iowa and Utah.
- Screeched and strengths are the longest one-syllable words in the English language.
