# ethanol

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛθ.ə.nɒl/ · frequency rank #15,812

## Definitions
1. A simple aliphatic alcohol formally derived from ethane by replacing one hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group: CH₃-CH₂-OH.
2. Specifically, this form of alcohol as a fuel.

## Etymology
Contracted from ethyl + alcohol. Ethyl is from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “ether”), influenced by German Äthyl. May be decomposed as ethane + -ol.

## Easily confused with
- **Ethan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ethan-vs-ethanol)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ehtanol`, `etahnol`, `ethanlo`, `ethannol`, `ethanoll`, `ethaonl`, `ethhanol`, `ethnaol`, `etthanol`, `tehanol`

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