Shapes Vocabulary

Learning shapes vocabulary is important for English learners to describe different geometric figures. In this blog post, we will help you learn the names of basic and advanced shapes with picture vocabulary. This will make it easier to talk about objects, designs, and spatial concepts in English.

Improve your English skills by exploring our Picture Vocabulary section, where you can learn more vocabulary with images.

Shapes Vocabulary

Knowing the names of different shapes helps in daily conversations, math lessons, and describing objects correctly. Below is a categorized list of common and advanced shapes with easy-to-understand descriptions.

Basic Shapes

Basic shapes are the most common ones we see in everyday life. These shapes are simple and easy to recognize because they appear in objects like signs, toys, and buildings.

• Circle – A perfectly round shape with no sides or corners, like a wheel.
• Oval – A stretched-out circle that looks like an egg.
• Square – A shape with four equal sides and four right angles, like a tile.
• Rectangle – A shape with four sides, where opposite sides are equal in length, like a door.
• Triangle – A shape with three sides and three angles, like a slice of pizza.
• Diamond – A tilted square with equal sides, often seen in playing cards.
• Heart – A shape that represents love, made of two curved parts at the top.
• Star – A shape with five or more points, often used in decorations.
• Crescent – A curved shape that looks like part of the moon.
• Cross – A shape made by two lines that meet at the center.
• Arrow – A shape with a pointed end that shows direction.

Polygon Shapes

Polygons are shapes with straight sides. The number of sides decides the name of the shape. These shapes are found in nature, buildings, and everyday objects.

• Pentagon – A shape with five sides and five angles, like a home plate in baseball.
• Hexagon – A shape with six sides, often seen in honeycombs.
• Heptagon – A shape with seven sides and seven angles, less common but found in architecture.
• Octagon – An eight-sided shape, commonly used for stop signs.
• Nonagon – A shape with nine sides and nine angles, often used in design patterns.
• Decagon – A shape with ten sides and ten angles, sometimes seen in coins and tiles.
• Parallelogram – A four-sided shape with opposite sides that are equal and parallel, like a slanted rectangle.
• Rhombus – A parallelogram where all four sides are the same length, like a kite shape.
• Trapezoid – A four-sided shape with one pair of parallel sides, often seen in bridges and rooftops.

3D Geometric Shapes

These shapes have height, width, and depth, making them different from flat 2D shapes. They are found in buildings, toys, and everyday objects.

• Cube – A box-shaped object with six equal square faces, like a dice.
• Sphere – A round 3D shape, like a ball.
• Cylinder – A shape with two flat circular bases and a curved side, like a can.
• Cone – A shape with a round base that narrows to a point, like an ice cream cone.
• Pyramid – A shape with a polygon base and triangular sides that meet at the top, like the pyramids in Egypt.
• Prism – A shape with two identical bases connected by rectangular faces, like a tent.
• Hemisphere – Half of a sphere, like a dome on a building.
• Ellipse – A stretched-out circle, similar to an oval, often used in designs and graphs.
• Torus – A ring-shaped 3D object, like a doughnut.

Download Free Printable Shapes Vocabulary Infographics

Want to learn shapes vocabulary with pictures? Download our free printable vocabulary infographics to help you remember new words easily.

FAQs

1. What are the most common shapes in everyday life?

The most common shapes include circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, and stars because they appear in signs, objects, and designs.

2. What is the difference between a square and a rectangle?

A square has four equal sides, while a rectangle has opposite sides that are equal but not necessarily all the same length.

3. How is a sphere different from a circle?

A sphere is a 3D shape like a ball, while a circle is a flat 2D shape.

4. What is a parallelogram used for in real life?

Parallelograms are found in tiles, bridges, and architectural designs because of their strong structure.

5. How is a trapezoid different from a parallelogram?

A trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides, while a parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides.