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This page covers the abbreviations and acronyms used in naming roads in Waze. By following these guidelines the Text-to-speech (TTS) feature will work at its optimum level. If you have questions about these instructions, see the further reading at the bottom of this page.
Other abbreviations
Prefixes, directional abbreviations and other (non-suffix) abbreviations should not be used, except for state/ territory abbreviations & country abbreviations; under ISO 3166-1 alpha-3.
1. Prefix abbreviations include: Mount (Mt.), and Saint (St.) Note: Mount (Mt.) is not the same as Mountain (Mtn.).
- Although they are common, can cause issues as variation and overlap exists between naming, usage, and prefix standards (I.e. What words to, and how to, abbreviate).
- Therefore a lake named "Lake Clair" would not be abbreviated, while if its documented name was "Clair Lake" it would be.
2. Directional abbreviations include: East (E), South West (SW), Central (CN), Upper (UP), and Lower (LR).
- In addition to not being abbreviated, directions should only be included when they are a part of the documented name, and not a suffix or prefix added at a later stage to describe location or orientation/ direction.
3. Other abbreviations include: Island (Is.), Quay (Qy), Reserve (Res) and Tunnel (Tunl).
- These are acceptable to be used when they are a suffix, but not acceptable when they are place names.
- Therefore "King-Tunnel Road" should have tunnel spelt in full, as it refers to a tunnel. While "Queen Tunnel-Road" could have tunnel abbreviated, as tunnel refers to the type of roadway, and is a part of the suffix.
- Likewise an Island named "Island Island" would be abbreviated to Island Is.
4. The exception to the above is abbreviations for states and or territories; and countries with their three character abbreviation. These contain correct punctuation. Other regions do not fall under this category.
- For example: California would be abbreviated to C.A. not CA and Victoria to VIC.
- Country abbreviations are done under "ISO 3166-1 alpha-3". Further information can be found on Wikipedia. (ISO 3166:)
- Other regions include that of Suburbs, Districts, Localities, Shires and special purpose areas. (I.e. Indigenous, Military and Airport areas.)
Standard suffix abbreviations
Waze convention is to use suffix abbreviations in street names. ("Main Rd" instead of "Main Road").
Notes:
1. Only abbreviate suffixes.
- "The Avenue", "The Green ", and etc. should not be abbreviated.
- "Circuit Avenue Road" would be abbreviated to Circuit Avenue Rd and not "Cct Ave Rd"
- A road named "Service way" should not be abbreviated, while "Pipeline Service way" should be.
2. Suffix abbreviations do not contain any punctuation, such as "." (Full-stops) or "-" (Hyphens).
3. In the event that the original suffix is a plural (I.e contains a "s" at the end) and only its singular form is present as an abbreviation, simply add an "s" to the end of the abbreviation.
Legend:
- TTS = Text To Speech for supported countries.
| Road Name | Abbreviation | TTS Compatibility |
| Alley | Aly | Yes |
| Annex | Anx | Yes |
| Arcade | Arc | Yes |
| Avenue | Ave | Yes |
| Bayoo | Byu | Yes |
| Beach | Bch | Yes |
| Bend | Bnd | Yes |
| Bluff | Blf | Yes |
| Bottom | Btm | Yes |
| Boulevard | Blvd | Yes |
| Branch | Br | Yes |
| Bridge | Brg | Yes |
| Broadway | Bdwy | Untested |
| Brook | Brk | Yes |
| Brooks | Brks | Yes |
| Burg | Bg | Incompatible |
| Burgs | Bgs | Untested |
| Bypass | Byp | Yes |
| Camp | Cp | Yes |
| Canyon | Cyn | Yes |
| Cape | Cpe | Untested |
| Causeway | Cswy | Yes |
| Center | Ctr | Yes |
| Centers | Ctrs | Untested |
| Circle | Cir | Yes |
| Circles | Cirs | Untested |
| Cliff | Clf | Untested |
| Cliffs | Clfs | Untested |
| Close | Cl | Yes |
| Club | Clb | Yes |
| Common | Cmn | Untested |
| Corner | Cor | Untested |
| Corners | Cors | Untested |
| Course | Crse | Yes |
| Court | Ct | Yes |
| Courts | Cts | Untested |
| Cove | Cv | Incompatible |
| Coves | Cvs | Untested |
| Creek | Crk | Untested |
| Crescent | Cres | Yes |
| Crest | Crst | Yes |
| Crossing | Yes | |
| Crossroad | Xrd | Yes |
| Curve | Curv | Yes |
| Dale | Dl | Yes |
| Dam | Dam | Yes |
| Divide | Dv | Incompatible |
| Drive | Dr | Yes |
| Drives | Drs | Untested |
| Estate | Est | Untested |
| Estates | Ests | Untested |
| Expressway | Expy | Yes |
| Extension | Ext | Yes |
| Extensions | Exts | Untested |
| Fall | Fall | Untested |
| Falls | Fls | Yes |
| Ferry | Fry | Untested |
| Field | Fld | Untested |
| Fields | Flds | Untested |
| Flat | Flt | Yes |
| Flats | Flts | Untested |
| Ford | Frd | Untested |
| Fords | Frds | Untested |
| Forest | Frst | Untested |
| Forge | Frg | Untested |
| Forges | Frgs | Untested |
| Fork | Frk | Untested |
| Forks | Frks | Untested |
| Fort | Ft | Yes |
| Freeway | Fwy | Yes |
| Garden | Gdn | Yes |
| Gardens | Gdns | Yes |
| Gateway | Gtwy | Yes |
| Glen | Gln | Yes |
| Glens | Glns | Untested |
| Green | Grn | Yes |
| Greens | Grns | Untested |
| Grove | Grv | Yes |
| Groves | Grvs | Untested |
| Harbor | Hbr | Yes |
| Harbors | Hbrs | Untested |
| Haven | Hvn | Untested |
| Heights | Hts | Yes |
| Highway | Hwy | Yes |
| Hill | Hl | Yes |
| Hills | Hls | Yes |
| Hollow | Holw | Yes |
| Inlet | Inlt | Yes |
| Island | Is | Untested |
| Islands | Iss | Untested |
| Isle | Il | Yes |
| Junction | Jctn | Yes |
| Junctions | Jctns | Yes |
| Key | Key | Yes |
| Keys | Keys | Yes |
| Knoll | Knl | Yes |
| Knolls | Knls | Yes |
| Lake | Lk | Untested |
| Lakes | Lks | Untested |
| Land | Land | Untested |
| Landing | Lndg | Yes |
| Lane | Ln | Yes |
| Light | Lgt | Yes |
| Lights | Lgts | Yes |
| Loaf | Lf | Yes |
| Lock | Lck | Yes |
| Locks | Lcks | Yes |
| Lodge | Ldg | Yes |
| Loop | Loop | Yes |
| Mall | Mall | Yes |
| Manor | Mnr | Yes |
| Manors | Mnrs | Yes |
| Meadow | Mdw | Yes |
| Meadows | Mdws | Yes |
| Mews | Mews | Yes |
| Mill | Ml | Untested |
| Mills | Mls | Untested |
| Mission | Msn | Yes |
| Motorway | Mtwy | Yes |
| Mount | Mount | Yes |
| Mountain | Mtn | Yes |
| Mountains | Mtns | Yes |
| Neck | Nck | Yes |
| Orchard | Orch | Yes |
| Oval | Oval | Yes |
| Overpass | Opas | Yes |
| Parade | Pde | Yes |
| Park | Pk | Yes |
| Parks | Pks | Yes |
| Parkway | Pky | Yes |
| Parkways | Pkys | Yes |
| Pass | Pass | Yes |
| Passage | Psge | Yes |
| Path | Path | Yes |
| Pike | Pke | Yes |
| Pine | Pne | Yes |
| Pines | Pnes | Yes |
| Place | Pl | Yes |
| Plain | Pln | Untested |
| Plains | Plns | Yes |
| Plaza | Plz | Yes |
| Point | Pt | Untested |
| Points | Pts | Yes |
| Port | Prt | Yes |
| Ports | Prts | Yes |
| Prairie | Prr | Yes |
| Radial | Radl | Yes |
| Ramp | Ramp | Yes |
| Ranch | Rnch | Yes |
| Rapid | Rpd | Incompatible |
| Rapids | Rpds | Yes |
| Rest | Rst | Untested |
| Ridge | Rdge | Yes |
| Ridges | Rdgs | Untested |
| Rise | Rise | Untested |
| River | Riv | Yes |
| Road | Rd | Yes |
| Roads | Rds | Untested |
| Route | Rte | Yes |
| Row | Row | Yes |
| Rue | Rue | Yes |
| Run | Run | Yes |
| Shoal | Shl | Yes |
| Shoals | Shls | Yes |
| Shore | Shr | Yes |
| Shores | Shrs | Yes |
| Skyway | Skwy | Yes |
| Spring | Spg | Yes |
| Springs | Spgs | Yes |
| Spur | Spur | Untested |
| Square | Sq | Yes |
| Squares | Sqs | Yes |
| Station | Sta | Yes |
| Stream | Strm | Yes |
| Street | St | Yes |
| Streets | Sts | Yes |
| Summit | Smt | Yes |
| Terrace | Ter | Yes |
| Throughwawy | Thwy | Yes |
| Trace | Trce | Yes |
| Track | Trak | Yes |
| Trafficway | Trfy | Yes |
| Trail | Trl | Yes |
| Tunnel | Tunl | Yes |
| Turnpike | Tpk | Yes |
| Underpass | Upas | Yes |
| Union | Un | Untested |
| Unions | Uns | Yes |
| Valley | Vly | Yes |
| Valleys | Vlys | Yes |
| Viaduct | Vdct | Yes |
| View | Vw | Yes |
| Views | Vws | Yes |
| Village | Vlg | Yes |
| Villages | Vlgs | Yes |
| Ville | Vl | Untested |
| Vista | Vis | Yes |
| Walk | Walk | Yes |
| Wall | Wall | Yes |
| Waters | Wtr | Untested |
| Way | Way | Yes |
| Ways | Ways | Yes |
| Well | Wl | Yes |
| Wells | Wls | Yes |
Further reading
Forums
If you have further questions on this topic, please refer to the following Waze forum for a "Work in progress" list of abbreviations that are being tested, currently available, and proposed:
Test of Text-to-Speech (TTS) Abbreviations in Waze Clients
Glossary
Refer to the Glossary page for definitions of many terms used in Waze.