Science quiz
Tricky element symbols from Latin names
Eleven symbols that do not match the English name. One appears at a time; type the element.
- Format
- Type them all
- Items
- 11 answers
- Limit
- 2:00
- Level
- Medium
- Checked
- 2026.10.03
- Answers
- 11
- Time limit
- 2:00
- Order
- One at a time, skip allowed
- Matching
- Case and accents ignored
- The highlighted slot is the one to answer.
- Prev and Next skip around; click a slot to jump to it.
- Enter on an empty box skips; the up and down arrow keys step through the slots.
- Pause whenever you like (Esc). The board hides while the clock is stopped.
Name the element for each symbol.
About this quiz
Most chemical symbols abbreviate the English name. Eleven do not: they keep an older name, usually Latin, that chemists once used for the element.
- Au comes from aurum and Ag from argentum.
- Hg comes from hydrargyrum, and Pb from plumbum.
- W comes from wolfram, a name tungsten still goes by in several languages.
Sources
- [1]PubChem, National Institutes of Health. Periodic Table of Elements.
Last checked October 3, 2026
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