naphthalene

/ˈnæfθəliːn/

//ˈnæfθəliːn// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"naphthalene" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“naphthalene” is uncommon English (frequency #87,599 among 24,391 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,599
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from coal tar; used in mothballs.

Key facts for naphthalene
PropertyValue
Headwordnaphthalene
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnæfθəliːn/
Letters11
Frequency rank#87,599
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “naphthalene” 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). naphthalene lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

naphthalene is uncommon English at frequency #87,599 among 24,391 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnæfθəliːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for naphthalene, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From naphth(a) + -al + -ene. The correct English form is naphthalene, spelled N-A-P-H-T-H-A-L-E-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from coal tar; used in mothballs.
  2. 2
    An aromatic bicyclic hydrocarbon, C₁₀H₈; an acene containing two fused benzene rings.

Etymology

From naphth(a) + -al + -ene.

This word in other languages

naftalina(Español)naphtalène(Français)Naphthalin(Deutsch)naftalina(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 "naphthalene"?
"naphthalene" is spelled N-A-P-H-T-H-A-L-E-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnæfθəliːn/.
What does "naphthalene" mean?
As a noun, "naphthalene" means: A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from coal tar; used in mothballs.
How do you pronounce "naphthalene"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "naphthalene" is /ˈnæfθəliːn/. 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 "naphthalene"?
From naphth(a) + -al + -ene. 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 “naphthalene”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-P-H-T-H-A-L-E-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnæfθəliːn/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list