# methyl

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɛθaɪl/ · frequency rank #21,869

## Definitions
1. The univalent hydrocarbon radical, CH₃-, formally derived from methane by the loss of a hydrogen atom; a compound or part of a compound formed by the attachment of such a radical.

## Etymology
Borrowed from German Methyl; compare French méthyle.
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)". The term "methyl" was derived in about 1840 by back-formation from "methylene", and was then applied to describe "methyl alcohol".

## Easily confused with
- **meth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meth-vs-methyl)
- **metal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/metal-vs-methyl)
- **Meryl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meryl-vs-methyl)
- **method** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/method-vs-methyl)
- **menthol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/menthol-vs-methyl)
- **Merthyr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/merthyr-vs-methyl)

## Common misspellings (10)
`emthyl`, `mehtyl`, `methhyl`, `methly`, `methyll`, `methyyl`, `metthyl`, `metyhl`, `mmethyl`, `mtehyl`

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