Fluorine

Fluorine is the most reactive element on the entire periodic table — it attacks almost everything it touches! Discovered in 1886 by Henri Moissan after decades of chemists injuring or even dying trying to isolate it, fluorine is a pale yellow gas that is extremely dangerous in its pure form. Moissan actually won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for finally taming this wild element.

Despite its ferocity, fluorine compounds are incredibly useful in everyday life. Fluoride in your toothpaste helps prevent cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. Teflon, the nonstick coating on frying pans, is made of carbon and fluorine atoms. Fluorine compounds are also used in refrigerants, certain medicines, and even some anesthetics.

Fluorine's symbol 'F' is a handy single-letter element in Spellement. It starts plenty of common words like 'fun,' 'fire,' and 'fish,' giving spellers a reliable building block. Its single-letter status means maximum flexibility when constructing words from element symbols.