List of Elements in Order of Electronegativity χ

List of elements ordered by electronegativity is listed in the table below with atomic number, chemical symbol and electronegativity value. To list the elements order by electronegativity, click on the table headers. You can print the list of elements by hitting the print button below.

Electronegativity is a chemical property that describes an atom’s ability to attract and hold onto electrons within a chemical bond. First introduced by Linus Pauling, electronegativity plays a central role in predicting bond types, molecular polarity, and reactivity.

The element which has the highest electronegativity value is Fluorine with 3.98 χ. And the element which has the lowest electronegativity value is Francium in 0.7 χ.

Electronegativity Order of Key Elements

Here's a simplified electronegativity order for commonly referenced elements, based on the Pauling scale:

F > O > N ≈ Cl > Br > C ≈ S > I > H > metals (like Na, Mg, Al)

Fluorine (F) has the highest electronegativity (3.98), making it the most electron-hungry element.
Oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N) follow closely behind, essential for the strong polarity in water and biological molecules.
Hydrogen (H) sits somewhere in the middle, often forming polar covalent bonds with more electronegative elements like oxygen.
Metals have low electronegativities because they tend to lose electrons and form cations.

Electronegativity Order Table

Atomic Number	Chemical Symbol	Element Name	Electronegativity χ
9	F	Fluorine	3.98
8	O	Oxygen	3.44
17	Cl	Chlorine	3.16
7	N	Nitrogen	3.04
36	Kr	Krypton	3
35	Br	Bromine	2.96
53	I	Iodine	2.66
54	Xe	Xenon	2.6
16	S	Sulfur	2.58
6	C	Carbon	2.55
34	Se	Selenium	2.55
79	Au	Gold	2.54
74	W	Tungsten	2.36
82	Pb	Lead	2.33
45	Rh	Rhodium	2.28
78	Pt	Platinum	2.28
1	H	Hydrogen	2.2
44	Ru	Ruthenium	2.2
46	Pd	Palladium	2.2
76	Os	Osmium	2.2
77	Ir	Iridium	2.2
85	At	Astatine	2.2
15	P	Phosphorus	2.19
33	As	Arsenic	2.18
42	Mo	Molybdenum	2.16
52	Te	Tellurium	2.1
51	Sb	Antimony	2.05
5	B	Boron	2.04
83	Bi	Bismuth	2.02
32	Ge	Germanium	2.01
80	Hg	Mercury	2
84	Po	Polonium	2
50	Sn	Tin	1.96
47	Ag	Silver	1.93
27	Co	Cobalt	1.91
14	Si	Silicon	1.9
29	Cu	Copper	1.9
43	Tc	Technetium	1.9
75	Re	Rhenium	1.9
28	Ni	Nickel	1.88
26	Fe	Iron	1.83
31	Ga	Gallium	1.81
49	In	Indium	1.78
48	Cd	Cadmium	1.69
24	Cr	Chromium	1.66
30	Zn	Zinc	1.65
23	V	Vanadium	1.63
81	Tl	Thallium	1.62
13	Al	Aluminium	1.61
41	Nb	Niobium	1.6
4	Be	Beryllium	1.57
25	Mn	Manganese	1.55
22	Ti	Titanium	1.54
73	Ta	Tantalum	1.5
91	Pa	Protactinium	1.5
92	U	Uranium	1.38
21	Sc	Scandium	1.36
93	Np	Neptunium	1.36
40	Zr	Zirconium	1.33
12	Mg	Magnesium	1.31
72	Hf	Hafnium	1.3
90	Th	Thorium	1.3
95	Am	Americium	1.3
96	Cm	Curium	1.3
97	Bk	Berkelium	1.3
98	Cf	Californium	1.3
99	Es	Einsteinium	1.3
100	Fm	Fermium	1.3
101	Md	Mendelevium	1.3
102	No	Nobelium	1.3
103	Lr	Lawrencium	1.3
94	Pu	Plutonium	1.28
71	Lu	Lutetium	1.27
69	Tm	Thulium	1.25
68	Er	Erbium	1.24
67	Ho	Holmium	1.23
39	Y	Yttrium	1.22
66	Dy	Dysprosium	1.22
64	Gd	Gadolinium	1.2
62	Sm	Samarium	1.17
60	Nd	Neodymium	1.14
59	Pr	Praseodymium	1.13
58	Ce	Cerium	1.12
57	La	Lanthanum	1.1
89	Ac	Actinium	1.1
20	Ca	Calcium	1
3	Li	Lithium	0.98
38	Sr	Strontium	0.95
11	Na	Sodium	0.93
88	Ra	Radium	0.9
56	Ba	Barium	0.89
19	K	Potassium	0.82
37	Rb	Rubidium	0.82
55	Cs	Caesium	0.79
87	Fr	Francium	0.7

General Electronegativity Trend

Electronegativity follows a predictable pattern across the periodic table:

Across a Period (Left to Right): Electronegativity increases. As you move from left to right across a period, the number of protons in the nucleus increases. This creates a stronger attraction for electrons, especially in nonmetals, which tend to gain electrons to complete their valence shells.
Down a Group (Top to Bottom): Electronegativity decreases. As new electron shells are added, the outermost electrons are farther from the nucleus and experience more shielding from inner electrons, weakening the nucleus’s pull.

Exceptions and Nuances

Noble gases usually aren’t included in electronegativity trends because they rarely form bonds, but when they do (like xenon in compounds), they can exhibit measurable values.

Some values may vary slightly depending on the scale used (Pauling, Mulliken, etc.), but the general trends remain consistent.

Why Electronegativity Matters?

Bond Type Prediction: The difference in electronegativity between two atoms helps determine bond type:
0–0.4 → nonpolar covalent
0.5–1.7 → polar covalent
1.7 → ionic
Molecular Polarity: Molecules with polar bonds and asymmetric shapes are polar overall, influencing solubility and intermolecular interactions.
Chemical Reactivity: Highly electronegative elements like fluorine or oxygen are often aggressive oxidizers.