Element Symbols — Chemistry Periodic Table Copy & Paste

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Common chemical element symbols ready to copy:

H — Hydrogen | He — Helium | Li — Lithium

C — Carbon | N — Nitrogen | O — Oxygen

Na — Sodium | Mg — Magnesium | Al — Aluminum

Si — Silicon | P — Phosphorus | S — Sulfur

Cl — Chlorine | K — Potassium | Ca — Calcium

Fe — Iron | Cu — Copper | Zn — Zinc

Ag — Silver | Au — Gold | Pt — Platinum

Hg — Mercury | Pb — Lead | U — Uranium

Highlight any symbol and copy it to use in documents, presentations, or notes.

What Are Element Symbols?

Element symbols are shorthand abbreviations for chemical elements on the periodic table. Each element has a unique one- or two-letter symbol that represents it universally, regardless of language.

The first letter is always capitalized. The second letter, if there is one, is always lowercase. For example, Co is cobalt, but CO is carbon and oxygen (carbon monoxide). This distinction matters a lot in chemistry.

Some symbols are obvious — O for oxygen, C for carbon, N for nitrogen. Others come from Latin or Greek names and can be surprising. For instance:

Na (Sodium) — from Latin natrium

K (Potassium) — from Latin kalium

Fe (Iron) — from Latin ferrum

Au (Gold) — from Latin aurum

Ag (Silver) — from Latin argentum

Pb (Lead) — from Latin plumbum

Hg (Mercury) — from Latin hydrargyrum

These Latin-based symbols are some of the oldest on the periodic table and were assigned based on names used by ancient civilizations.

History of Element Symbols

The system of element symbols evolved over centuries:

Ancient times: Alchemists used pictorial symbols to represent known metals and substances — circles, triangles, and other shapes that were hard to standardize.

1808 — John Dalton: The English chemist introduced a system of circles with different markings inside to represent elements. Each circle had a unique pattern, but the system was cumbersome for writing.

1814 — Jons Jakob Berzelius: The Swedish chemist created the modern letter-based system we use today. He proposed using one or two letters from each element's Latin name as its symbol. This was a breakthrough — simple, writable, and universal.

Berzelius's system caught on quickly because it was practical. Scientists could write chemical formulas easily, and the symbols worked across language barriers. His original list covered about 50 known elements at the time.

As new elements were discovered — there are now 118 confirmed — each received its own symbol following Berzelius's pattern. The most recent additions (nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson) were officially named in 2016.

How Element Symbols Work

Element symbols follow clear rules:

One-letter symbols: Reserved for the most common or earliest-discovered elements. Examples: H (hydrogen), C (carbon), O (oxygen), N (nitrogen), S (sulfur).

Two-letter symbols: Used for all other elements. The first letter is capitalized, the second is lowercase. Examples: Fe (iron), Na (sodium), Ca (calcium).

Temporary symbols: Newly discovered elements get a three-letter temporary symbol based on their atomic number. For example, element 118 was temporarily named Uuo (ununoctium) before receiving its permanent name oganesson (Og).

Symbols are combined to write chemical formulas. Water is H₂O (two hydrogen atoms, one oxygen atom). Table salt is NaCl (sodium chloride). Carbon dioxide is CO₂.

The 20 Most Common Elements

Here are the 20 most commonly referenced elements, their symbols, and atomic numbers:

1. H — Hydrogen — Atomic number 1

2. He — Helium — Atomic number 2

3. Li — Lithium — Atomic number 3

4. C — Carbon — Atomic number 6

5. N — Nitrogen — Atomic number 7

6. O — Oxygen — Atomic number 8

7. Na — Sodium — Atomic number 11

8. Mg — Magnesium — Atomic number 12

9. Al — Aluminum — Atomic number 13

10. Si — Silicon — Atomic number 14

11. P — Phosphorus — Atomic number 15

12. S — Sulfur — Atomic number 16

13. Cl — Chlorine — Atomic number 17

14. K — Potassium — Atomic number 19

15. Ca — Calcium — Atomic number 20

16. Fe — Iron — Atomic number 26

17. Cu — Copper — Atomic number 29

18. Zn — Zinc — Atomic number 30

19. Ag — Silver — Atomic number 47

20. Au — Gold — Atomic number 79

These 20 elements cover the vast majority of chemistry you will encounter in everyday life, from the air you breathe (N, O) to the metals in your devices (Cu, Au, Ag, Si).

Periods and Groups on the Periodic Table

The periodic table organizes all 118 elements into a grid of rows (periods) and columns (groups):

Periods (rows): There are 7 periods. Elements in the same period have the same number of electron shells. Period 1 has just 2 elements (H and He). Periods 6 and 7 have 32 each.

Groups (columns): There are 18 groups. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell. For example, Group 1 (alkali metals: Li, Na, K) are all highly reactive.

Blocks: The table is also divided into s-block, p-block, d-block, and f-block based on the type of electron orbital being filled. The d-block contains the transition metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Ag, Au), and the f-block contains the lanthanides and actinides.

Understanding the layout of the periodic table helps you predict how elements will behave and react with each other.