# benzene

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɛnziːn/ · frequency rank #34,794

## Definitions
1. An aromatic hydrocarbon of formula C₆H₆ whose structure consists of a ring of alternate single and double bonds.
2. Sometimes used in place of the phenyl group.

## Etymology
A technical term in chemistry, adopted in English in 1835 as benzine (benzene from 1872), from German Benzin, which was coined in 1833 by Eilhardt Mitscherlich based on Benzoesäure (“benzoic acid”), plus the technical ending -ene (German -in) denoting hydrocarbons. The adjective benzoic is in turn from benzoin, originally a term for a balsamic resin from Middle French benjoin, from Spanish benjuí, Portuguese beijoim, Italian benzoe, probably, from Arabic لُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy, “Javanese frankincense”).
Not related to German Benz (surname).

## Common misspellings (10)
`bbenzene`, `benezne`, `bennzene`, `benzeen`, `benzenne`, `benznee`, `benzzene`, `beznene`, `bnezene`, `ebnzene`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/benzene