Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ketene

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.48 in modern English

Syllables: ketene
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

any of a class of unsaturated ketones, having a general formula R₁R₂C=C=O, that react as if they were inner acid anhydrides

noun

the parent compound of this class, CH₂=C=O, an unstable, reactive colourless gas

Etymology

Etymology tree German Ketonbor. English ketone English keto- English -ene English ketene From keto- + -ene.

Inflected Forms

ketenes (plural)

Derived Forms

dienylketene diketene ketenide ketenimine vinylketene

Questions

What does ketene mean?: any of a class of unsaturated ketones, having a general formula R₁R₂C=C=O, that react as if they were inner acid anhydrides
Where does ketene come from?: Etymology tree German Ketonbor. English ketone English keto- English -ene English ketene From keto- + -ene.

How to pronounce ketene

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ketene”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ketene”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ketene” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.