Tungsten

Tungsten's symbol 'W' comes from 'wolfram,' its German name, which derives from the mineral wolframite. Swedish miners called it 'tung sten' (heavy stone), which became its English name. Discovered in 1783 by the Spanish brothers Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar, tungsten has the highest melting point of any element at 3,422 degrees Celsius — nothing else even comes close!

Tungsten's incredible heat resistance is why it was used in incandescent light bulb filaments for over a century — the filament glows white-hot without melting. Tungsten carbide is nearly as hard as diamond and is used in drill bits, saw blades, and armor-piercing ammunition. Tungsten is also used in the weights of darts, fishing sinkers, and even the vibration motor in your smartphone.

Tungsten's symbol 'W' is a distinctive single-letter element in Spellement. It starts words like 'water,' 'world,' and 'wonder,' providing a common consonant. Single-letter symbols offer maximum flexibility for word building, and W's unexpected connection to tungsten adds an interesting chemistry lesson.