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What3words offers precise locations using word combinations

Instead of GPS coordinates, which can be difficult to remember, what3words software assigns a three-word combination to 3-meter by 3-meter squares around the world

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On the what3words website, users can find the three-word combination of their exact location, or search for a specific address, which can then be zoomed in to select a specific spot.

Photo/what3words.com

By EMS1 Staff

LONDON — A United Kingdom-based company has created a new way for the world to think about location.

The website and software program what3words has divided the world into 3-meter by 3-meter squares and assigned each one a unique three-word address, which they claim provides a location as accurate as GPS coordinates, but in a much easier format.

For example, the entrance of the what3words headquarters in London can be found using this three-word formula: filled.count.soap.

“Our vision is to become a global standard for communicating location,” the website reads. “People use what3words to find their tents at festivals, navigate to B&Bs and to direct emergency services to the right place.”

On the website, users can find the three-word combination of their exact location, or search for a specific address, which can then be zoomed in to select a specific spot.

Being able to share an exact location without the large amount of numbers required by GPS coordinates makes it easier for locations to be shared with the general public, including with emergency services at mass casualty events or to locate hikers or extreme sports athletes.