A shape is the form or outline of something we can see, made by its edges, corners, or curves. Shapes can be flat like squares or solid like cubes. Learning shape names helps students understand space, spot patterns, and learn important math ideas. This list of 100 shapes names in English with pictures is made for students, teachers, and beginners who want to learn about polygons, solid figures, and other common shapes used in classrooms, geometry, and math lessons.
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What Are Shapes?
A shape is the form or outline of an object. It can be two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D). Shapes help us describe and recognize objects based on how they look. In English, learning shape names is important for school subjects like math, science, and everyday communication.
Examples:
- A circle is like a coin or the moon.
- A square looks like a tile or a checkerboard.
- A triangle is shaped like a slice of pizza.
Basic 2D Shapes Names in English with Meanings
Below is a list of common 2D shapes with pictures and simple meanings:
Circle
A circle is a round shape with no corners or edges. Examples: Clock, wheel, coin
Square
A square has 4 equal sides and 4 right angles. Examples: Tile, window, chessboard
Triangle
A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners. Examples: Pizza slice, traffic sign, hanger
Rectangle
A rectangle has 4 sides with opposite sides equal and 4 right angles. Examples: Book, door, mobile screen
Oval
An oval looks like a stretched circle. Examples: Egg, mirror, rug
Pentagon
A pentagon has 5 straight sides. Examples: Pentagon building, home plate in baseball
Hexagon
A hexagon has 6 sides. Examples: Honeycomb, nuts and bolts
Octagon
An octagon has 8 sides. Examples: Stop sign, bathroom tile
3D Shapes Names in English with Examples
3D shapes have depth, height, and width. Below is a list of 3D shapes with real-life examples:
Cube
A cube has 6 equal square faces. Examples: Dice, gift box, ice cube
Sphere
A sphere is a round 3D shape. Examples: Ball, globe, marble
Cylinder
A cylinder has 2 flat circular ends and one curved side. Examples: Can, battery, drum
Cone
A cone has a circular base and a pointed top. Examples: Ice cream cone, party hat, traffic cone
Pyramid
A pyramid has a base and triangular sides that meet at a point. Examples: Egyptian pyramid, tent, chocolate Toblerone
Rectangular Prism
A rectangular prism has 6 rectangular faces. Examples: Brick, book, shoebox
Hemisphere
A hemisphere is half of a sphere. Examples: Bowl, dome, half orange
Tetrahedron
A tetrahedron has 4 triangular faces. Examples: Triangular pyramid, dice (with 4 sides)
Common Shapes Used in Daily Life and Their Uses
Below is a list of commonly seen shapes around us:
- Heart — Seen in valentine cards, emojis, jewelry
- Star — Seen in flags, Christmas decorations, ratings
- Arrow — Seen in signs, road directions, digital icons
- Diamond — Seen in kites, cards, rings
- Crescent — Seen in moon, Islamic symbols, logos
- Cross — Seen in hospitals, churches, first aid kits
- Spiral — Seen in snail shells, stairs, notebook bindings
Geometric Shapes Names with Definitions
Names of 2D Geometric Shapes
- Equilateral Triangle — All sides and angles are equal
- Isosceles Triangle — Two sides are equal
- Scalene Triangle — No equal sides
- Right Triangle — One 90-degree angle
- Trapezoid — One pair of parallel sides
- Parallelogram — Opposite sides are parallel
- Rhombus — All sides equal, opposite angles equal
- Kite — Two pairs of equal adjacent sides
- Decagon — 10 sides
- Dodecagon — 12 sides
Names of 3D Geometric Shapes
- Sphere — Round solid shape
- Cube — All edges equal, square faces
- Rectangular Prism — Like a stretched cube
- Cone — Circle base, pointed top
- Cylinder — Circle ends with curved side
- Tetrahedron — Four triangular faces
- Octahedron — Eight triangular faces
- Dodecahedron — Twelve pentagon faces
- Icosahedron — Twenty triangle faces
List of 100 Shapes in English with Pictures
Below is a table of 100 shapes with their types, brief descriptions, and everyday examples. This helps you quickly learn about different shapes and where you can see them in real life.
Shape Name | Type | Description | Example |
---|---|---|---|
Circle | 2D | A round shape with no corners or edges | Coin |
Square | 2D | Four equal sides and four right angles | Chessboard square |
Rectangle | 2D | Opposite sides equal with four right angles | Door |
Triangle | 2D | A shape with three sides and three angles | Road sign |
Oval | 2D | A stretched circle, also known as an ellipse | Egg |
Pentagon | 2D | A five-sided polygon | Pentagon building |
Hexagon | 2D | A six-sided polygon | Honeycomb cell |
Heptagon | 2D | A seven-sided polygon | Coin designs |
Octagon | 2D | An eight-sided polygon | Stop sign |
Nonagon | 2D | A nine-sided polygon | Geometric drawing |
Decagon | 2D | A ten-sided polygon | Decorative tile |
Trapezoid | 2D | A quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides | Bridge support design |
Parallelogram | 2D | Opposite sides are parallel and equal | Floor tile |
Rhombus | 2D | Four equal sides with opposite angles equal | Kite |
Star | 2D | A polygon with multiple intersecting points | Star symbol |
Crescent | 2D | A curved shape resembling a part of a circle | Moon phase |
Arrow | 2D | A pointed shape for direction | Traffic sign |
Heart | 2D | A symmetrical shape representing love | Valentine decoration |
Cross | 2D | Two intersecting lines, one vertical, one horizontal | First aid symbol |
Spiral | 2D | A shape that winds in a curve from a central point | Snail shell |
Cube | 3D | A 3D shape with 6 equal square faces | Dice |
Cuboid | 3D | A box-shaped 3D figure with rectangular faces | Book |
Sphere | 3D | A round 3D object, every point equidistant from center | Ball |
Cylinder | 3D | A 3D shape with circular ends and straight sides | Can |
Cone | 3D | A 3D shape with a circular base tapering to a point | Ice cream cone |
Pyramid | 3D | A base polygon with triangular faces meeting at a point | Egyptian pyramid |
Triangular Prism | 3D | Two triangular bases and three rectangular faces | Tent |
Hexagonal Prism | 3D | A prism with hexagon bases | Bolt |
Pentagonal Prism | 3D | A prism with pentagon bases | 3D model in geometry class |
Torus | 3D | A doughnut-shaped figure | Lifebuoy |
Hemisphere | 3D | Half of a sphere | Bowl |
Tetrahedron | 3D | A pyramid with a triangular base | Triangular toy |
Dodecahedron | 3D | A solid with 12 pentagonal faces | Dice for tabletop games |
Icosahedron | 3D | A solid with 20 triangular faces | Decorative crystal shape |
Ellipse | 2D | A regular oval shape | Race track |
Kite | 2D | A quadrilateral with two pairs of equal adjacent sides | Flying kite |
Scalene Triangle | 2D | Triangle with all sides of different lengths | Triangle in geometry problems |
Isosceles Triangle | 2D | Triangle with two equal sides | Roof gable |
Equilateral Triangle | 2D | All three sides are equal | Traffic sign |
Oblique Triangle | 2D | Triangle without right angle | Design patterns |
Right Triangle | 2D | One angle is 90 degrees | Construction layouts |
Concave Polygon | 2D | Polygon with at least one interior angle over 180° | Abstract shape |
Convex Polygon | 2D | All interior angles less than 180° | Regular polygons |
Irregular Polygon | 2D | Polygon with unequal sides and angles | Freehand shape |
Regular Polygon | 2D | Polygon with all sides and angles equal | Honeycomb |
Ring | 2D | Circular shape with hole in the center | Wedding ring outline |
L-shape | 2D | Resembles the letter “L” | Furniture layout |
U-shape | 2D | Resembles the letter “U” | Sofa arrangement |
Wedge | 3D | A triangular prism used for splitting | Doorstop |
Ellipsoid | 3D | 3D shape stretched like an ellipse | Rugby ball |
Oblate Spheroid | 3D | Sphere flattened at the poles | Earth shape |
Prolate Spheroid | 3D | Sphere elongated at the poles | Watermelon |
Crescent Moon | 2D | A narrow curved shape resembling a moon | Lunar phase |
Teardrop | 2D | A shape like a droplet | Jewelry design |
Leaf | 2D | Irregular organic shape with veins | Botanical diagram |
Clamshell | 3D | Rounded shape that opens like a shell | Cosmetic compact |
Capsule | 3D | Cylindrical with rounded ends | Medicine pill |
Peanut Shape | 3D | Two lobes joined in the middle | Peanut |
Bell Curve | 2D | Smooth symmetrical curve | Statistical graph |
Fan Shape | 2D | Widening from a point | Paper fan |
Arrowhead | 2D | Sharp pointed triangular shape | Directional icon |
Spiral Cone | 3D | Cone that spirals upward | Party hat |
Dome | 3D | Hemisphere-shaped roof | Mosque roof |
Arch | 2D | Curved symmetrical structure | Bridge |
Lattice | 2D | Repeating pattern of lines | Garden fencing |
Net | 2D | Layout of a 3D shape unfolded into 2D | Geometry worksheet |
Grid | 2D | Repeating squares or rectangles in rows and columns | Spreadsheet |
Arrow Loop | 2D | Arrow in a loop indicating repeat | Recycling symbol |
Chevron | 2D | V-shaped pattern | Military badge |
Zigzag | 2D | Sharp turns in alternating directions | Lightning shape |
Wave | 2D | Smooth curves like ocean waves | Water symbol |
Flower | 2D | Petal-like symmetrical shape | Floral mandala |
Snowflake | 2D | Fractal six-sided geometric figure | Winter decoration |
Spiral Staircase | 3D | Curved vertical helical shape | Architectural design |
Knot | 2D | Looping intertwined shape | Celtic art |
Möbius Strip | 3D | A one-sided loop with a twist | Topology model |
Tesseract | 4D/3D | 4D hypercube projected into 3D | Sci-fi design |
Arrow Cross | 2D | Cross with arrow ends | Navigation symbol |
Yin-Yang | 2D | Circular symbol with duality of shape | Chinese philosophy |
Mandala | 2D | Circular geometric design with radial symmetry | Meditation art |
Tangram | 2D | Composite shape formed from multiple pieces | Puzzle |
Lune | 2D | Crescent-shaped figure formed by two intersecting arcs | Geometry concept |
Arc | 2D | A part of the circumference of a circle | Protractor drawing |
Segment | 2D | Region between arc and chord | Pizza slice |
Sector | 2D | Portion of a circle bounded by two radii | Pie chart slice |
Annulus | 2D | Ring-shaped area between two concentric circles | Donut surface |
Gable | 2D | Triangular part of a wall between roof edges | House design |
Keystone | 2D | Central top stone in an arch | Roman architecture |
Prism | 3D | Solid with identical bases and flat parallelogram sides | Glass block |
Polygon | 2D | Flat shape with straight sides | Any closed shape with straight edges |
Quadrilateral | 2D | Any shape with four sides | Window pane |
Polyhedron | 3D | A solid figure with flat faces | 3D crystal model |
How to Pronounce Shapes Names in English
Below is a list of shapes with phonetic spellings:
- Circle — /ˈsɜːrkəl/
- Square — /skwɛər/
- Triangle — /ˈtraɪæŋɡəl/
- Rectangle — /ˈrɛktæŋɡəl/
- Oval — /ˈoʊvəl/
- Cube — /kjuːb/
- Sphere — /sfɪər/
- Cone — /koʊn/
- Cylinder — /ˈsɪlɪndər/
- Pyramid — /ˈpɪrəmɪd/
Most Commonly Used Shapes in English Vocabulary
Here is a list of shapes you will hear or use most often:
- Circle
- Square
- Triangle
- Rectangle
- Oval
- Star
- Heart
- Arrow
- Diamond
- Cube
- Sphere
- Cylinder
- Cone
- Pyramid
- Hexagon
- Octagon
- Kite
- Parallelogram
- Rhombus
- Trapezoid
Unique and Uncommon Shapes Names
Below are names for more advanced shapes:
- Rhombus — Diamond-shaped quadrilateral
- Trapezoid — Quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides
- Dodecagon — 12 sides
- Tetrahedron — 4 triangular faces
- Octahedron — 8 triangular faces
- Dodecahedron — 12 pentagonal faces
- Icosahedron — 20 triangular faces
- Nonagon — 9 sides
- Heptagon — 7 sides
- Pentagonal Prism — Prism with pentagon base
Easy Shapes Names for Kids with Pictures
Simple shapes children should know:
- Circle — Ball, face
- Square — Box, tile
- Triangle — Pizza slice
- Rectangle — Door
- Heart — Card, emoji
- Star — Sticker
- Oval — Egg
- Diamond — Kite
FAQs about Shapes Names in English
The basic shapes in English include circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and oval. These are the foundation for learning more complex geometric shapes.
A square has four equal sides and four right angles, while a rectangle also has four right angles but opposite sides are equal, not all four.
A shape with three sides is called a triangle. There are different types, like equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles.
A shape with no corners is called a circle. It’s perfectly round and has no straight sides or angles.
A circle is perfectly round with equal radius, while an oval is elongated and does not have a constant radius all around.
A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides. Common examples include triangles, squares, and hexagons.
A 5-sided shape is called a pentagon. If all sides and angles are equal, it is a regular pentagon.
A hexagon is a shape with six straight sides and six angles. A regular hexagon has all sides and angles equal.
A shape with 8 sides is called an octagon. A regular octagon has all sides and angles equal.
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