# methanol

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɛθənɒl/ · frequency rank #29,740

## Definitions
1. The simplest aliphatic alcohol, CH₃OH; a colourless, toxic, inflammable liquid, used as a solvent, antifreeze, in the chemical industry, and in the preparation of methylated spirit.

## Etymology
From methane + -ol.
French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot, after determining methanol's chemical structure, introduced "methylene" from the Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu, “wine”) + ὕλη (húlē, “wood, material”) with the intention of highlighting its origins, "alcohol made from wood (substance)".

## Easily confused with
- **methane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/methane-vs-methanol)

## Common misspellings (12)
`emthanol`, `mehtanol`, `metahnol`, `methanlo`, `methannol`, `methanoll`, `methaonl`, `methhanol`, `methnaol`, `metthanol`, `mmethanol`, `mtehanol`

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