Periodic Table with Names
Every element’s full name printed under its symbol. Tap any tile to open its data sheet.
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Symbols that don’t match the name
Most symbols are the first one or two letters of the English name. The exceptions keep a Latin or German root:
All 118 element names
Questions students ask
Why do some element symbols not match their English names?
Eleven symbols come from Latin or German names: Na (natrium, sodium), K (kalium, potassium), Fe (ferrum, iron), Cu (cuprum, copper), Ag (argentum, silver), Sn (stannum, tin), Sb (stibium, antimony), W (wolfram, tungsten), Au (aurum, gold), Hg (hydrargyrum, mercury) and Pb (plumbum, lead).
Is it aluminum or aluminium, sulfur or sulphur?
IUPAC uses aluminium and sulfur, and accepts aluminum as an alternative. Both spellings of aluminium are correct; American English uses aluminum.
Who names new elements?
The discovering team proposes a name and symbol, and IUPAC approves it after public review. Names can honour a place, scientist, mineral, property or mythological concept.