ethane

Name: ethane, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈɛθeɪn/

//ˈɛθeɪn// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“ethane” is an uncommon English word, ranked #61,452 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#61,452
frequency rank, English: 6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C₂H₆, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas.

Key facts for ethane
Property	Value
Headword	ethane
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈɛθeɪn/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#61,452
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ethane” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ethane lands here:

#61,452

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ethane is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛθeɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #61,452 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ethane has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From eth- + -ane. The correct English form is ethane, spelled E-T-H-A-N-E.

Definition

1
An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C₂H₆, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas.
2
The same compound, subjected to modification by replacing one or more of the hydrogen atoms with other radicals.

Etymology

From eth- + -ane.

This word in other languages

etano(Español)éthane(Français)Ethan(Deutsch)etano(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ethane"?

"ethane" is spelled E-T-H-A-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛθeɪn/.

What does "ethane" mean?

As a noun, "ethane" means: An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C₂H₆, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas.

How do you pronounce "ethane"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ethane" is /ˈɛθeɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "ethane"?

From eth- + -ane. See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “ethane”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is E-T-H-A-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈɛθeɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.