The chemical symbol for tungsten is W.
The symbol comes from tungsten's older name, wolfram, which is still used in several languages and in the mineral name wolframite. Tungsten has atomic number 74 and is a dense, hard metal with an exceptionally high melting point of about 3,422 degrees Celsius, the highest of any element.
Tungsten became especially important for incandescent light-bulb filaments because it can glow at very high temperatures without melting quickly. It is also used in hard materials, electrical contacts, heating elements and specialized alloys. Its density is similar to that of gold, which makes it useful in some counterweights and radiation-shielding applications.
The symbol can surprise English-speaking readers because it does not match the word tungsten. Chemical symbols often preserve historical names: sodium is Na from natrium, potassium is K from kalium, and iron is Fe from ferrum. Tungsten's W is therefore a historical abbreviation rather than an English initial.