🥼organic chemistry review

Ortho (o)

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

In organic chemistry, specifically within the context of benzene and aromaticity, "ortho" (abbreviated as "o") indicates that two substituents on a benzene ring are adjacent to each other, meaning they are positioned on carbon atoms that are next to one another. This term is part of the nomenclature used in naming aromatic compounds where the spatial arrangement of atoms is crucial for identifying chemical structures.