Speaking in Academic Contexts
Chemical symbols & formulae
Common pronunciations (in British English – Gimson,1981) of scientific symbols are given in the list below.
Symbols
|
Symbol |
Name |
Pronunciation |
|
Ac |
Actinium |
/ækt’ɪnɪəm/ |
|
Ag |
Silver |
/’sɪlvə/ |
|
Al |
Aluminium |
/æljʊ’mɪnɪəm/ |
|
Am |
Americium |
/əmə’risɪəm/ |
|
Ar |
Argon |
/’ɑːgɒn/ |
|
As |
Arsenic |
/’ɑːsnɪk/ |
|
At |
Astatine |
/’æstəti:n/ |
|
Au |
Gold |
/’gəʊld/ |
|
B |
Boron |
/’bɔːrɒn/ |
|
Ba |
Barium |
/ˈbɛərɪəm/ |
|
Be |
Beryllium |
/bəˈrɪlɪəm/ |
|
Bh |
Bohrium |
/ˈbɔ:rɪəm/ |
|
Bi |
Bismuth |
/ˈbɪzməθ/ |
|
Bk |
Berkelium |
/ˈbɜ:klɪəm/ |
|
Br |
Bromine |
/ˈbrəʊmiːn/ |
|
C |
Carbon |
/ˈkɑ:bən/ |
|
Ca |
Calcium |
/ˈkælsɪəm/ |
|
Cd |
Cadmium |
/ˈkædmɪəm/ |
|
Ce |
Cerium |
/ˈsi:rɪəm/ |
|
Cf |
Californium |
/kælɪˈfɔ:nɪəm/ |
|
Cl |
Chlorine |
/ˈklɔ:riːn/ |
|
Cm |
Curium |
/ˈkjuːrɪəm/ |
|
Co |
Cobalt |
/ˈkəʊbɒlt/ |
|
Cr |
Chromium |
/ˈkrəʊmɪəm/ |
|
Cs |
Caesium |
/ˈsiːzɪəm/ |
|
Cu |
Copper |
/ˈkɒpə/ |
|
Db |
Dubnium |
/ˈdʌbnɪəm/ |
|
Ds |
Darmstadtium |
/dɑ:mˈstætɪəm/ |
|
Dy |
Dysprosium |
/dɪsˈprəʊzɪəm/ |
|
Er |
Erbium |
/ˈɜ:bɪəm/ |
|
Es |
Einsteinium |
/aɪnˈstaɪnɪəm/ |
|
Eu |
Europium |
/ju:ˈrəʊpɪəm/ |
|
F |
Fluorine |
/ˈflʊəriːn/ |
|
Fe |
Iron |
/ˈaɪən/ |
|
Fm |
Fermium |
/ˈfɜ:mɪəm/ |
|
Fr |
Francium |
/ˈfrænsɪəm/ |
|
Ga |
Gallium |
/ˈgælɪəm/ |
|
Gd |
Gadolinium |
/gædəˈlɪnɪəm/ |
|
Ge |
Germanium |
/dʒəˈmeɪnɪəm/ |
|
H |
Hydrogen |
/ˈhaɪdrəʤən/ |
|
He |
Helium |
/ˈhi:lɪəm/ |
|
Hf |
Hafnium |
/ˈhæfnɪəm/ |
|
Hg |
Mercury |
/ˈmɜ:kjʊrɪ/ |
|
Ho |
Holmium |
/ˈhəʊlmɪəm/ |
|
Hs |
Hassium |
/ˈhæsɪəm/ |
|
I |
Iodine |
/ˈaɪədiːn/ |
|
In |
Indium |
/ˈɪndɪəm/ |
|
Ir |
Iridium |
/ɪˈrɪdɪəm/ |
|
K |
Potassium |
/pəˈtæsɪəm/ |
|
Kr |
Krypton |
/ˈkrɪptən/ |
|
La |
Lanthanum |
/ˈlænθənəm/ |
|
Li |
Lithium |
/ˈlɪθɪəm/ |
|
Lr |
Lawrencium |
/ləˈrensɪəm/ |
|
Lu |
Lutetium |
/ljuːˈtiːʃəm/ |
|
Md |
Mendelevium |
/mendəˈlɪvɪəm/ |
|
Mg |
Magnesium |
/mægˈniːzɪəm/ |
|
Mn |
Manganese |
/ˈmæŋgəniːz/ |
|
Mo |
Molybdenum |
/məˈlɪbdənəm/ |
|
Mt |
Meitnerium |
/maɪtˈnɜ:rɪəm/ |
|
N |
Nitrogen |
/ˈnaɪtrədʒən/ |
|
Na |
Sodium |
/ˈsəʊdɪəm/ |
|
Nb |
Niobium |
/naɪˈəʊbɪəm/ |
|
Nd |
Neodymium |
/niːəʊˈdɪmɪəm/ |
|
Ne |
Neon |
/ˈniːɒn/ |
|
Ni |
Nickel |
/ˈnɪkəl/ |
|
No |
Nobelium |
/nəʊˈbiːlɪəm/ |
|
Np |
Neptunium |
/nepˈtjuːnɪəm/ |
|
O |
Oxygen |
/ˈɒksɪdʒən/ |
|
Os |
Osmium |
/ˈɒzmɪəm/ |
|
P |
Phosphorus |
/ˈfɒsfərəs/ |
|
Pa |
Protactinium |
/prəʊtækˈtɪnɪəm/ |
|
Pb |
Lead |
/ˈled/ |
|
Pd |
Palladium |
/pəˈleɪdɪəm/ |
|
Pm |
Promethium |
/prəˈmiːθɪəm/ |
|
Po |
Polonium |
/pəˈləʊnɪəm/ |
|
Pr |
Praseodymium |
/preɪzɪəʊˈdɪmɪəm/ |
|
Pt |
Platinum |
/ˈplætɪnəm/ |
|
Pu |
Plutonium |
/pluːˈtəʊnɪəm/ |
|
Ra |
Radium |
/ˈreɪdɪəm/ |
|
Rb |
Rubidium |
/ruːˈbɪdɪəm/ |
|
Re |
Rhenium |
/ˈriːnɪəm/ |
|
Rf |
Rutherfordium |
/rʌðəˈfɔ:dɪəm/ |
|
Rg |
Roentgenium |
/rɒntˈgenɪəm/ |
|
Rh |
Rhodium |
/ˈrəʊdɪəm/ |
|
Rn |
Radon |
/ˈreɪdɒn/ |
|
Ru |
Ruthenium |
/ruːˈθiːnɪəm/ |
|
S |
Sulphur/Sulfur |
/ˈsʌlfə/ |
|
Sb |
Antimony |
/’æntɪmənɪ/ |
|
Sc |
Scandium |
/ˈskændɪəm/ |
|
Se |
Selenium |
/səˈliːnɪəm/ |
|
Sg |
Seaborgium |
/siːˈbɔ:gɪəm/ |
|
Si |
Silicon |
/ˈsɪlɪkən/ |
|
Sm |
Samarium |
/səˈmɛərɪəm/ |
|
Sn |
Tin |
/ˈtɪn/ |
|
Sr |
Strontium |
/ˈstrɒntɪəm/ |
|
Ta |
Tantalum |
/ˈtæntələm/ |
|
Tb |
Terbium |
/ˈtɜ:bɪəm/ |
|
Tc |
Technetium |
/tekˈniːʃɪəm/ |
|
Te |
Tellurium |
/təˈlʊərɪəm/ |
|
Th |
Thorium |
/ˈθɔ:rɪəm/ |
|
Ti |
Titanium |
/tɪˈteɪnɪəm/ |
|
Tl |
Thallium |
/ˈθælɪəm/ |
|
Tm |
Thulium |
/ˈθjuːlɪəm/ |
|
U |
Uranium |
/jʊˈreɪnɪəm/ |
|
Uub |
Ununbium |
/juːˈnʌnbɪəm/ |
|
Uuh |
Ununhexium |
/juːnənˈheksɪəm/ |
|
Uuo |
Ununoctium |
/juːnəˈnɒktɪəm/ |
|
Uup |
Ununpentium |
/juːnənˈpentɪəm/ |
|
Uuq |
Ununquadium |
/juːnənˈkwɒdɪəm/ |
|
Uut |
Ununtrium |
/juːˈnʌntrɪəm/ |
|
V |
Vanadium |
/vəˈneɪdɪəm/ |
|
W |
Tungsten |
/ˈtʌŋstən/ |
|
Xe |
Xenon |
/ˈzenɒn/ |
|
Y |
Yttrium |
/ˈɪtrɪəm/ |
|
Yb |
Ytterbium |
/ɪˈtɜːbɪəm/ |
|
Zn |
Zinc |
/ˈzɪŋk/ |
|
Zr |
Zirconium |
/zɜːˈkəʊnɪəm/ |
| -CO3 | carbonate | /ˈkɑ:bəneɪt/ |
| -ClO3 | chlorate | /ˈklɔ:reɪt/ |
| -NO3 | nitrate | /ˈnaɪtreɪt/ |
| -PO4 | phosphate | /ˈfɒsfeɪt/ |
| -SO4 | sulphate/sulfate | /ˈsʌlfeɪt/ |
| -HCO3 | hydrogen carbonate | /ˈhaɪdrəʤən ˈkɑ:bəneɪt/ |
| -HSO4 | hydrogen sulphate/sulfate | /ˈhaɪdrəʤən ˈsʌlfeɪt/ |
| -OH | hydroxide | /haɪˈdrɒksaɪd/ |
Formulae
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide | /ˈkɑ:bən daɪˈɒksaɪd/ |
| CO | Carbon monoxide | /ˈkɑ:bən mənˈɒksaɪd/ |
| NO2 | Nitrogen dioxide | /ˈnaɪtrədʒən daɪˈɒksaɪd/ |
| N2O | Dinitrogen oxide | /ˈdaɪnaɪtrədʒən ˈɒksaɪd/ |
| NO | Nitrogen oxide | /ˈnaɪtrədʒən ˈɒksaɪd/ |
| N2O4 | Dinitrogen tetroxide | /ˈdaɪnaɪtrədʒən tetrˈɒksaɪd/ |
| SO2 | Sulphur/Sulfur dioxide | /ˈsʌlfə daɪˈɒksaɪd/ |
| SO3 | Sulphur/Sulfur trioxide | /ˈsʌlfə traɪˈɒksaɪd/ |
| H2SO4 | Suphuric/Sulfuric acid | /ˈsʌlfjʊərɪk ˈæsɪd/ |
| HCl | Hydrochloric acid | /ˈhaɪdrəklɒrɪk ˈæsɪd/ |
| HNO3 | Nitric acid | /ˈnaɪtrɪkˈæsɪd/ |
| PCl5 | Phosphorus pentachloride | /ˈfɒsfərəs ˈpentəklɔ:raɪd/ |
| “DDT” | Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane | /daɪˌklɔːrəʊ ˈdaɪˌfiːnaɪl ˈtraɪˌklɔːrəʊ ˈiːθeɪn/ |
Equations
|
2HCl + 2Na → 2NaCL + H2 |
Two HCl plus two Na gives/yields two NaCl plus H two |
/tu: eɪʧ si: el plʌs tu: en eɪ gɪvz tu: en eɪ si: el plʌs eɪʧ tu:/ /tu: eɪʧ si: el plʌs tu: en eɪ ji:ldz tu: en eɪ si: el plʌs eɪʧ tu:/ |
|
CH4 + O2 → CO2 + 2H2O |
C H four plus O two yields C O two + two H two O |
/si: eɪʧ fɔː plʌs əʊ tu: ji:ldz si: əʊ tu: plʌs tu: eɪʧ tu: əʊ/ |
|
P4O10 + 6 H2O → 4 H3PO4 |
P four O ten plus six H two O gives four H three P O four |
/pi: fɔː əʊ ten plʌs sɪks eɪʧ tu: əʊ gɪvz fɔ eɪʧ θri: pi: əʊ fɔː/ |
