Ab initio calculations including correlation energy are reported on a series of halogen-substituted carbenes and silylenes: CH 2, CHF, CF 2, CHC1, CC12, CHBr, CBr2, Sill2, SiHF, SiF2, using the difference-dedicated configuration interaction method. All these compounds with the exception of CH 2 have singlet ground states. The singlet-triplet energy differences are in very good agreement with experiment when available, as well as with other high level calculations. The singlet-triplet separation is also determined in trifluoromethyl carbenes, CHCF3, CFCF3, CCICF 3 and CBrCF 3. The CF 3 substituent has little influence on the energy gap since CHCF 3 like CH 2 has a triplet ground state, with a gap of 11"1 kcal mo1-1, and CFCF~, CCICF 3 and CBrCF 3 have singlet ground states, like CHF, CHCI and CHBr, with gaps of -17.6, -5"4, and -3"5 kcal mo1-1.