Is There Any Countries Beginning With W?

No sovereign countries start with the letter W.

As of 2026, not a single nation kicks off with W. That puts W in rare company—just two letters in our alphabet have this quirk, and X is the other one.

Why don’t any countries begin with W?

History and language hold the answer. Most countries lift names from indigenous roots, colonial pasts, or geographic features. The letter W simply isn’t common in Latin-based or Slavic languages, which heavily influence country names. Britannica makes it clear: Wales and Wallis and Futuna don’t count—they’re regions, not sovereign states.

Languages tend to use W for sounds, not starting letters. In Spanish or French, W mostly shows up in borrowed words. That’s why you’ll rarely see a country name begin with W—it just doesn’t fit the usual naming patterns.

What’s the breakdown of letters without country names?

How did the letter W become so rare in country names?

Timing matters here. The letter W wasn’t even in the classical Latin alphabet—it arrived later in medieval scripts. That delayed its use in early country naming.

Colonial powers and indigenous groups preferred names that sounded natural in their own languages. Since W wasn’t a natural starting point in Latin, Romance, or Slavic tongues, it rarely made the cut. UNESCO points out how linguistic evolution shapes national identity, which explains why W stayed on the sidelines.

Pop culture has thrown around ideas like “Wakanda” or “Walesonia,” but none stuck in real-world politics. Wales comes closest—it’s a devolved nation with its own language and three UNESCO sites by 2026.

Where can travelers visit regions with W in their names?

You won’t find a sovereign country starting with W, but plenty of places do:

• Wales, UK: Medieval castles, rugged coastlines, and the Welsh language. With about 3.14 million people, it’s just a 2-hour train ride from London.
• Wallis and Futuna: A French Pacific territory with Polynesian culture and coral reefs. Pack your French visa—it’s required for entry.
• Western Sahara: A disputed North African territory claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Travel here demands extra caution due to instability.

For deeper research, the United Nations Statistics Division tracks country names and their linguistic roots—handy for anyone chasing obscure alphabet trivia.

The two letters of the alphabet that do not begin the name of a country are X and W.

Honestly, this is one of those quirks that makes geography feel like a puzzle.

There are 195 countries in the world today.

This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

Animals that begin with W include walking catfish, wallaby, wallaby, walleye fish, walrus, wandering albatross, warthog, wasp, and water buffalo.

Officially, Wales is the only country that begins with the letter W.

With 3.136 million people and three world heritage sites, it’s the closest thing we’ve got to a W-starting country.

Cities that start with W include West Jordan, Waterbury, West Covina, and West Palm Beach in the United States.

Finland ranks number one in the world.

There are not 197 countries in the world.

That number comes up in some debates, but the actual count is 195 sovereign states.

The smallest country in the world is Vatican City.

With a landmass of just 0.49 square kilometers (0.19 square miles), it’s smaller than many city blocks.

The Solomon Islands is a nation in Oceania with no confirmed COVID cases.

Despite the WHO classification, the CDC advises against visiting the country due to the unknown level of the COVID-19 threat across the islands.

Chile is an example of a five-letter country.

There are 24 countries that have five-letter names in English. These countries are scattered all over the world in different continents. Eight of the 24 countries are located in Africa: Benin, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Niger, and Sudan.

Countries that start with the letter K include Kenya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kuwait.

Random W words include wab, wad, wae, wag, wan, wap, war, and was.

Words that start with W include wacke, wacko, wacks, wacky, waddy, waded, wader, and wades.

Sea animals that start with W include walrus, whapuku (wreckfish), and whiting.

Movies that start with W include The Wages of Fear, Wall Street, The War Game, Wargames, The Warriors, Way Down East, Wayne’s World, and Werckmeister Harmoniak.