Nomenclature Diagram

Non-Acids
Binary Compounds
Nonmetal + Nonmetal <prefix><1st nonmetal> <prefix><2nd Special Case: water
nonmetal>ide (e.g. H2O = dihydrogen monoxide or dihydrogen
(e.g. N2O = dinitrogen monoxide) oxide)
Ammonium or Metal (fixed oxidation state) + <metal or ammonium> <nonmetal>ide
Nonmetal (e.g. CaCl2 = calcium chloride)
Metal (variable oxidation state) + Nonmetal <metal>(Roman numeral) <nonmetal>ide
(e.g. Fe2O3 = iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide)

Neutrals with polyatomic ions

Ammonium or Metal <metal or ammonium> <metal or ammonium> <metal or ammonium> <metal or ammonium> Special Cases: <metal or
(fixed oxidation state) per<element other than <element other than metal <element other than metal hypo<element other than ammonium> cyanide or
+ polyatomic ion metal or O>ate or O>ate or O>ite metal or O>ite hydroxide
(e.g. CsIO4 = cesium (e.g. (NH4)3PO4 = (e.g. CaSO3 = calcium (e.g. LiClO = lithium (e.g. KCN = potassium
periodate) ammonium phosphate) sulfite) hypochlorite) cyanide, or KOH =
potassium hydroxide)
Ammonium or Metal <metal>(Roman numeral) <metal>(Roman numeral) <metal>(Roman numeral) <metal>(Roman numeral) Special Cases:
(variable oxidation or ammonium> <element other than metal <element other than metal hypo<element other than <metal>(Roman numeral)
state) + polyatomic per<element other than or O>ate or O>ite metal or O>ite cyanide or hydroxide
ion metal or O>ate (e.g. Cu(BrO4)2 = (e.g. FeSeO3 = iron(II) (e.g. Sn(IO)4 = tin(IV) (e.g. Co(CN)2 = cobalt(II)
(e.g. Pb(BrO4)2 = lead(II) copper(II) perbromate or selenite or ferrous hypoiodite or stannic cyanide, or cobaltous
perbromate) cupric perbromate) selenite) hypoiodite) cyanide)

Polyatomic Ions
per<element other than O>ate ion <element other than O>ate ion <element other than O>ite ion hypo<element other than O>ite ion Special Cases:
(e.g. ClO4- = perchlorate ion) (e.g. SO42- = sulfate ion) (e.g. TeO32- = tellurite ion) (e.g. ClO- = hypochlorite ion) CN- = cyanide ion
OH- = hydroxide ion
NH4+ = ammonium ion
 Nomenclature Diagram
Acids
Neutral (no metals)
No hydro<element other than H>ic acid
Oxygen (e.g. HCl = hydrochloric acid)
With per<element other than H or O>ic acid <element other than H or O>ic <element other than H or O>ous hypo<element other than H or O>ous
Oxygen (e.g. HClO4 = perchloric acid) acid acid acid
(e.g. HClO3 = chloric acid) (e.g. HClO2 = chlorous acid) (e.g. HClO = hypochlorous acid)

Neutral with metal (Note: when variable oxidation state, use Roman Numeral)
No <metal> hydrogen <element other than H>ide
Oxygen (e.g. KHS = potassium hydrogen sulfide)
With <metal> <prefix>hydrogen <metal> <prefix>hydrogen <metal> <prefix>hydrogen <element <metal> <prefix>hydrogen
Oxygen per<element other than H or O>ate <element other than H or O>ate other than H or O>ite hypo<element other than H or
(e.g. don't know any examples) (e.g. NaH2P4 = sodium dihydrogen (e.g. KHSO3 = potassium hydrogen O>ite
phosphate) sulfite) (e.g. don't know any examples)

Ions
No <prefix>hydrogen <element other than H>ide ion
Oxygen (e.g. HSe- = hydrogen selenide ion)
With <prefix>hydrogen per<element other <prefix>hydrogen <element other <prefix>hydrogen <element other <prefix>hydrogen hypo<element
Oxygen than H or O>ate ion than H or O>ate ion than H or O>ite ion other than H or O>ite ion
(e.g. don't know any examples) (e.g. HCO3- = hydrogen carbonate (e.g. HSeO3- = hydrogen selenite ion) (e.g. don't know any examples)
ion)