Road names in Singapore
Road names in Singapore come under the purview of Singapore's Street and Building Names Board. All public streets, including roads for vehicular traffic and pedestrian malls, as well as private roads that are non-gated are officially named. Roads that are shorter than 60 metres in length need not be named. However, road names are not to be confused as MRT station names. MRT station names are only allowed to be named after important places that best represent the station and the vicinity within the station.
Road names are either in the English language or Malay language, even though many names could be derived from other languages such as Mandarin Chinese and Tamil due to the diverse cultures of the Singaporean society. All road names are also officially translated into Mandarin Chinese by the Ministry of Communications and Information. SBNB has generally avoided naming new roads in Malay since the 1970s.
It is common for a long stretch of road to have different names at different sections; such changes in names usually, but not necessarily, occur at major junctions, or when the road passes over a river or canal. It is also possible for roads that are not directly connected to bear the same name; such cases usually arise from urban redevelopment which divides these initially connected roads into two or more unlinked sections.
Road names in Singapore usually, but not always, have a generic element and a specific element, the former of which could assume two forms: noun or adjective.
Types of road names
Roads names in Singapore typically fall under six categories:- road names with a prefix followed by a specific element;
- road names with a specific element followed by a suffix ;
- road names that include acronyms;
- road names that consist only of a single word;
- road names with the definite article "the" followed by a specific element; and
- road names without any prefix or suffix.
Malay-derived generic elements
Road names in Singapore do not utilise many Malay generic elements commonly found in neighbouring Malaysia, such as Lebuh, Tingkat, Cangkat, Lebuhraya, etc. The generic element "Persiaran" was used in the road "Persiaran Keliling" in Singapore, but this road has been renamed to "Circuit Road".| Generic element | Abbreviation used in road signs | Definition in English | Transliteration in Chinese | Example | Remark |
| Bukit | Bt | Hill | 武吉 | Bukit Ayer Molek, Bukit Purmei | While "Bukit" is used as a generic element, it is also used as part of a specific element such as in the case of Bukit Batok Road. |
| Jalan | Jln | Road | 惹兰 | Jalan Besar, Jalan Jurong Kechil | |
| Kampong | Kg | Village | 甘榜 | Kampong Bugis, Kampong Sireh | While "Kampong" is used as a generic element, it is also used as part of a specific element such as in the case of Kampong Java Road. "Kampong" is an archaic variant of the Malay word "kampung". |
| Lengkok | Arc, crescent | 麟谷 | Lengkok Angsa, Lengkok Merak | While "Lengkok" is used as a generic element, it is also used as part of a specific element such as in the case of Jalan Lengkok Sembawang. | |
| Lengkong | Arc, crescent | 麟光 | Lengkong Dua, Lengkong Lima | "Lengkong" is an archaic variant of "Lengkok". | |
| Lorong | Lor | Alley, lane | Either 罗弄 or 巷 | Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Lorong Chuan, Lorong Halus | While "Lorong" translates to "alley" or "lane" in English, some roads that bear this prefix are actually major roads, such as in the case of Lorong Chuan. |
| Padang | Field | 马东 | Padang Chancery, Padang Jeringau | ||
| Taman | Garden | 达曼 | Taman Ho Swee, Taman Warna | While "Taman" is used as a generic element, it is also used as part of a specific element such as in the case of Jalan Taman. | |
| Tanjong | Tg | Cape | 丹戎 | Tanjong Penjuru | While "Tanjong" is used as a generic element, it is also used as part of a specific element such as in the case of Tanjong Katong Road. "Tanjong" as a generic element is used only once, and is an archaic variant of the Malay word "tanjung". |
English-derived generic elements
Road names that include acronyms
There are several instances whereby the official road names include acronyms. Such a structure is exclusively used for roads within the Singapore Changi Airport.Examples include:
| Road name | Full form of acronym |
| Alps Avenue | "ALPS" is the acronym for the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore |
| T1 Departure Crescent | "T1" refers to Terminal 1 of Changi Airport |
| T4 Way | "T4" refers to Terminal 4 of Changi Airport |
Road names that consist only of a single word
Road names in this category are extremely rare in Singapore. There are currently only four roads that bear single-word names:- Bishopsgate
- Causeway
- Piccadilly
- Queensway
Road names with the definite article "the"
- The Inglewood
- The Knolls
- The Oval
Road names without any generic element
| Road name | Elaboration |
| Geylang Bahru | "Geylang" is a location, while "Bahru" is an archaic variant of "baru", meaning "new" in English. |
| Geylang Serai | "Geylang" is a location, while "Serai" translates to "lemongrass" in English. |
| Kallang Bahru | "Kallang" is a location, while "Bahru" is an archaic variant of "baru", meaning "new" in English. |
| Kallang Tengah | "Kallang" is a location, while "Tengah" translates to "middle" in English. |
| Wholesale Centre | This road is named after the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre that it is located in. |
Naming convention
Expressways
are given official abbreviations for ease of identification. Abbreviations consist of three letters; the first two letters correspond to the first two syllables of the name, while the last letter is derived from the first letter of the last word.The only exceptions to this rule are Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and Marina Coastal Expressway. "KPE" allows for both locations, Kallang and Paya Lebar, to be represented. "MCE" is selected to highlight the expressway's close proximity to the coast.
Names of expressways always appear in their abbreviated forms on road signs.
Road names in residential towns
Unlike other cities, it is very common for Singaporean roads to have derivative names. Many locations in Singapore, especially residential towns, follow this naming format. Certain generic elements are used only for a specific purpose, such as "Central" which is often reserved for roads that are located within town centres.Road names in mature residential towns and estates generally follow a numerical scheme. Those that do not are mostly non-mature towns and locations where residential precincts are not concentrated or clustered.
| Generic element | Elaboration |
| Avenue | Generally used for major roads within a town. "Avenues" in a mature town are usually numbered, while those in a non-mature estate are not. |
| Central | Generally used for roads within town centres, with the notable exceptions of Sungei Kadut Central and Lentor Central which are located in an industrial estate and in a private residential estate respectively. |
| Drive | Generally used for secondary roads that connect the various neighbourhoods within a town. "Drives" in a mature town are usually numbered, while those in a non-mature estate are not. A notable exception is Pasir Ris, where "drives" function more like the "avenues" of other Singaporean towns. |
| Road | Generally used for major roads that link a particular town with surrounding towns or estates. For example, Woodlands Road connects Woodlands with Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang. |
| Street | Generally used for secondary roads that connect the various neighbourhoods within a town. "Streets" in a mature town are usually numbered, while those in a non-mature estate are not. |
Generic elements reserved for specific roads
While suffixes like "Drive" and "Street" may be used interchangeably in most cases, some generic terms tend to only be used on roads that fulfil a certain criteria.| Generic element | Elaboration | Example | Notable exception |
| Boulevard | Mostly used for roads in the Central Area or roads that are in close proximity to a landmark. | Airport Boulevard and Stadium Boulevard are located near important landmarks, while Marina Boulevard and Raffles Boulevard are located in the Central Area. | Tuas South Boulevard is located in an industrial estate. |
| Business Park | Used for roads located within an office park. | International Business Park is located within its namesake. | |
| Central | Mostly used for roads within a town centre. | Marine Parade Central and Tampines Central 1 are roads that serve the respective town centres of Marine Parade and Tampines. | Sungei Kadut Central is located within the Sungei Kadut industrial estate, and Lentor Central is located within the Lentor private residential community. |
| Expressway | Used only for controlled-access highways. | Bukit Timah Expressway and Seletar Expressway are part of the Singapore expressway network. | |
| Farmway | Used for roads in rural areas. | Murai Farmway and Seletar West Farmway 1 are located in the rural outskirts of Singapore. | |
| Gateway | Used for roads that serve as an entry point to a significant location or landmark. | one-north Gateway and Sentosa Gateway lead to one-north and Sentosa respectively. | |
| Highway | Used only for semi-expressways. | Nicoll Highway and West Coast Highway are considered "semi-expressways". | |
| Industrial Park | Used for roads within an industrial estate. | Bedok Industrial Park C and Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 1 are roads within industrial zones. | |
| Island | Used for roads that link to an offshore island. | Paradise Island and Sandy Island lead to their namesake islands in Sentosa Cove. | |
| Parkway | Used only for controlled-access highways. | East Coast Parkway is part of the Singapore expressway network. | |
| Plaza | Used for roads that are near commercial development. | Goldhill Plaza and Tanjong Pagar Plaza are surrounded by commercial buildings. | |
| Promenade | Used for roads along a river or by the sea. | Kim Seng Promenade is located beside the Singapore River. | |
| Quay | Used for roads along a river or by the sea. | Collyer Quay and Raffles Quay are in close proximity to the Marina Bay. | |
| Service Road | Used for roads that run parallel to a highway or major road. | East Coast Park Service Road runs almost parallel to East Coast Parkway. | Yishun Central Service Road is a minor road located within Yishun, and it does not run parallel to a major road. |
| Sector | Used for roads in within an industrial estate. | Benoi Sector and Kallang Sector are roads within industrial zones. | |
| Track | Used for roads in rural areas. | Choa Chu Kang Road - Track 14 and Mandai Lake Road - Track 9 are located in the rural outskirts of Singapore. |
Road name modifiers
In certain scenarios whereby two or more roads are similarly named, modifiers are used to differentiate between these roads for easier identification. One reason for the existence of these similarly-named roads is urban redevelopment which turned previously singular roads into distinct, unconnected sections, effectively turning them into different roads altogether.The following are modifiers used in Singapore road names to differentiate between similarly-named roads:
| Modifier | Abbreviation used in road signs | Translation in Chinese | Example | Similarly-named counterpart |
| Central | 中 | Happy Avenue Central | Happy Avenue East, Happy Avenue North, Happy Avenue West | |
| East | 东 | Bartley Road East | Bartley Road | |
| Lower | 下段 | Lower Delta Road | Delta Road | |
| New | 新 | New Upper Changi Road | Upper Changi Road | |
| North | 北 | Sturdee Road North | Sturdee Road | |
| Old | 旧 | Old Choa Chu Kang Road | Choa Chu Kang Road | |
| South | 南 | Tanjong Katong Road South | Tanjong Katong Road | |
| Upper | Upp | 上段 | Upper Bukit Timah Road | Bukit Timah Road |
| West | 西 | Admiralty Road West | Admiralty Road |
Common Malay terms in road names
The following are common Malay-derived terms found in Singapore road names :| Malay term | Definition in English | Transliteration in Chinese | Example |
| Bahru | New | 峇鲁 | Kallang Bahru, Kampong Bahru Road |
| Barat | West | 巴叻 | Jalan Kilang Barat, Jalan Novena Barat |
| Lembah | Valley | 仑巴 | Jalan Lembah Bedok, Jalan Lembah Kallang |
| Merah | Red | 美拉 | Jalan Ikan Merah, Taman Mas Merah |
| Pasir | Sand | 巴西 | Jalan Pasir Ria, Pasir Ris Drive 1 |
| Selatan | South | 实拉丹 | Jalan Novena Selatan |
| Telok | Bay | 直落 | Lorong J Telok Kurau, Telok Blangah Heights |
| Timor | East | 蒂摩 | Jalan Kilang Timor, Jalan Novena Timor |
| Ulu | Origin, rural, upstream | 乌鲁 | Jalan Ulu Seletar, Ulu Pandan Road |
| Utara | North | 乌打拉 | Jalan Novena Utara |