Interactive NMR splitting pattern demonstration showing how neighbouring hydrogens create peak patterns

Your neighbouring hydrogens split your signal

One hydrogen doesn't exist in isolation — its neighbours reveal themselves through splitting patterns. Each adjacent hydrogen on neighbouring carbons adds one more peak to the signal. Adjust the neighbour count to watch singlets become doublets, triplets, and quartets.

NMR Splitting Pattern SINGLET
n+1 rule: n neighbouring H gives n+1 peaks
0 NEIGHBOURS • 1 PEAK
0 1 2 3
Peak count 1
Pattern name Singlet
Chemical shift identifies the hydrogen environment by measuring how far the signal appears from a reference point (TMS at 0 ppm). Different functional groups shield or deshield hydrogens from the magnetic field, creating characteristic shift ranges. Hydrogens on carbons next to electron-withdrawing groups appear further downfield (higher ppm) because they're deshielded. Aromatic hydrogens sit around 7–8 ppm, methyl groups near 1 ppm, and aldehyde hydrogens can reach 9–10 ppm. The shift tells you what kind of chemical environment each hydrogen sits in, before you even count them.
Know This

Chemical shift identifies the hydrogen environment, integration ratio gives relative numbers of hydrogens, and the n+1 rule reveals neighbouring structure: n neighbouring H gives n+1 peaks as singlet, doublet, triplet, quartet.