With their repeated – units, the alkanes constitute a homologous series of organic compounds in which the members differ in molecular mass by multiples of 14.03 u (the total mass of each such methylene-bridge unit, which comprises a single carbon atom of mass 12.01 u and two hydrogen atoms of mass ~1.01 u each).
wɪð ðɛɹ ɹᵻpˈiːɾᵻd jˈuːnɪts, ðɪ ˈælkeɪnz kˈɑːnstɪtˌuːt ɐ həmˈɑːləɡəs sˈɪɹiz ʌv ɔːɹɡˈænɪk kˈɑːmpaʊndz ɪnwˌɪtʃ ðə mˈɛmbɚz dˈɪfɚɹ ɪn məlˈɛkjʊlɚ mˈæs baɪ mˌʌltɪpəlz ʌv fˈoːɹtiːn.zˈiəɹoʊ θɹˈiː jˈuː ðə tˈoʊɾəl mˈæs ʌv ˈiːtʃ sˈʌtʃ mˈɛθɪlˌiːnbɹˈɪdʒ jˈuːnɪt, wˌɪtʃ kəmpɹˈaɪzᵻz ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl kˈɑːɹbən ˈæɾəm ʌv mˈæs twˈɛlv.zˈiəɹoʊ wˈʌn jˈuː ænd tˈuː hˈaɪdɹədʒən ˈæɾəmz ʌv mˈæs tˈɪldə wˈʌn.zˈiəɹoʊ wˈʌn jˈuː ˈiːtʃ.