PURPOSE: To provide a surface acoustic wave element presenting frequency temperature characteristics equivalent to or letter than AT cut utilizing bulk waves by improving the frequency temperature characteristics over a relatively wide temperature range near an ordinary temperature.

CONSTITUTION: In this surface acoustic wave element for which an interdigital transducer(IDT) electrode composed of at least one metallic material whose mass is relatively heavy is disposed on the surface of a piezoelectric substrate so as to utilize SH type surface acoustic waves propagated near the surface of the piezoelectric substrate, a quartz substrate cut out so as to let a cutting angle θ to an XY plane be in the range of 27°-37° with a crystal X axis as the center of rotation is used as the piezoelectric substrate. The IDT electrode is constituted so as to let an intra-surface rotation angle ψ formed by the phase speed propagation direction of the SH type surface acoustic waves and the crystal X axis be approximately 75°≤ψ<90°.