english shapes vocabulary listThe following list covers the most common words for shapes in the English language, with explanations (sorry, no pictures!). Words that may be also be useful when discussing different shapes are side (the edge of the shape), face (the surface of a shape), regular (all sides the same length) and irregular (sides with different lengths), and 3D (when shapes have a third-dimension (3D), or depth – 2D shapes are flat).

Common Shape Vocabulary

This part of the list covers the more common everyday shape words you might encounter.

 

arc – a curve, a segment of a circle

circle – one regular round line

cone – 3D shape from a flat base to a single high point (tapers)

crescent – a curved line, like a moon

cube – 3D shape made of 6 equal sized squares

cuboid – 3D shape made of 6 rectangles

curve – a line that is not straight

cylinder – 3D shape joining two circular bases

disc – flat 3D circle

dot – a single point

ellipse – an irregular (not symmetrical) circle

heptagon – 7 sided shape

hexagon – 6 sided shape

kite – diamond shape

line – connects two points

octagon – 8 sided shape

orb – a sphere

oval – an egg shape

parallelogram – a shape with two sets of parallel sides

pentagon – 5 sided shape

plane – a surface

point – a specific place

polygon – a shape with lines that connect to form one complete space

prism – a type of polyhedron

pyramid – 3D shape with triangular faces

ray – a part of a line that is finite in one direction

rectangle – 4 sided shape with 2 sets of different length lines

rhombus – 4 sided shape with equal length sides

ring – a circular shape

semicircle – half a circle

shape – an object located in a defined space

shapeless – something without a defined space

sphere – a perfectly round 3D shape

square – 4 sided shape with equal length sides and 90 degree angles

star – a shape with many points

trapezium (UK) / trapezoid (US) – a 4 sided shape with only 2 parallel sides

triangle – 3 sided shape

wedge – a triangular prism

 

More Shape Words 

The following terms are less common, or more specific, words for shapes, which may also be useful to learn.

 

acute triangle – triangle with all angles less than 90 degrees

annulus – a ring

bipyramid – a polyhedron of two pyramids

concave – an outward curve

convex – an inward curve

decagon – a 10 sided shape

dodecahedron – 3D shape with 12 faces

ellipsoid – 3D ellipse

equilateral triangle – triangle with all angles equal

helix – 3D curve

hexahedron – 3D shape with 7 faces

isosceles triangle – triangle with two equal angles

lozenge – a diamond shape

obtuse triangle – triangle with an angle more than 90 degrees

octahedron – 3D shape made of 8 faces

polyhedron – a 3D shape with numerous flat faces

right triangle – a triangle with one angle that is 90 degrees

scalene triangle – a triangle where all sides are unequal

 

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