Different shapes in math
Different Shape Names (with Useful List, Types) • 7ESL
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Are you looking for different shape names in English? Here you will find a list of shapes with different types and useful example sentences. If you work in a business that requires the use of mathematics, for example then it would be very important that you are aware of the English names for shapes.
However, this may not be the only reason that you need to learn this information. When taking part in day-to-day conversations, you will need to learn the shape names in order to describe something or be able to understand what someone is talking about, for example, if a person tells you about ‘the square plate.’ Here, you can learn shape names and further expand your vocabulary.
Table of Contents
Shapes
What Are Shapes?
Shapes are geometric figures, or the pattern an outline falls into. Shapes are often drawn (whether by ink, pencil, or digitally), but they occur in life, also. Frequently, people picture 2D (two-dimensional, or flat) images when they hear the word “shapes,” so most of the objects listed in this lesson will be 2D shapes, but some will be 3D as well.
Different Types of Shapes
There are many, many different types of shapes, and there are names for basically all of them. The following list focuses on more common shapes that you’re more likely to encounter or to need or want to know the name of.
Shape names with pictures
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Two-Dimensional (Flat) Shapes
- Circle: A circle is an equally round shape. Picture the lid of a jar, flat, from above. That is a circle. The wheels on a car are circular, as well. So are the holes in most lined paper and notebooks.
- Oval: An oval is basically a circle that’s been a little squished. The cups of over-the-ear headphones are generally referred to as oval. So is the profile of an egg.
Some make a distinction between circles that have been squished in the middle versus circles that have been squished at the top, the former being called an ellipse, but common usage treats both as ovals.
- Rectangle: A rectangle is a shape with four sides, made up of two sets of parallel lines, with four right angles (90 degree angles; picture a capital L). It doesn’t matter whether the sets of sides are the same length. Picture a plain piece of printing paper. This is a rectangle, with one set of sides (generally the top and bottom) shorter than the other set of sides (generally the left and right).
- Square: A square is a very specific type of rectangle, one with four equal sides. Some boxes have a square footprint. Origami paper is square.
- Triangle: A triangle is a shape with three straight sides. These sides can be any length, with any degree of angle, as long as the three sides are joined at their ends. Many warning signs are triangular.
A slice of a round pizza is mostly triangular (the crust is a little too rounded to be perfect).
- Pentagon: A pentagon is a shape with five sides. A basic drawing of a house, with two lines for the roof, a line for each side, and a line for the bottom is generally a pentagon.
Shapes with more sides are generally named based on how many sides they have. A hexagon has six sides, heptagon has seven, and an octagon has eight.
Three-Dimensional Shapes
Three-dimensional shapes are ones that aren’t just flat on paper, but also take up room vertically. Only a few are really commonly named.
- Sphere: A sphere is a 3D circle, like a ball.
- Cube: A cube is a 3D square, like a box.
- Pyramid: A pyramid is a 3D triangle. The giant structures in Egypt are pyramids, as is the Luxor in Las Vegas.
Shape Names
It’s important to build a good vocabulary, in any language. The more words you know and understand, the better you can communicate. Even if you don’t use the words often, understanding them allows you to follow along with a conversation, even if it ventures a little outside of your comfort zone. This lesson is specifically focused on different types of shapes.
- Nonagon
- Octagon
- Heptagon
- Hexagon
- Triangle
- Scalene triangle
- Right triangle
- Parallelogram
- Rhombus
- Square
- Pentagon
- Circle
- Oval
- Heart
- Cross
- Arrow
- Cube
- Cylinder
- Star
- Crescent
The math student measured each side of the nonagon until he had measurements for all nine edges.
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OctagonThe sectional shape is a quarter of an octagon.
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HeptagonThe pagoda has a base of heptagon.
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HexagonA hexagon is a six – sided figure.
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TriangleThe sum of all the angles of a triangle is 180 degrees.
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Scalene triangleA scalene triangle is a triangle that has three unequal sides.
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Right triangleThe hypotenuse is the longest side of a right triangle.
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ParallelogramThese are the opposite sides of the parallelogram.
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RhombusA rhombus is a simple quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length.
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SquareThe interior angles of a square are right angles or angles of 90 degrees.
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PentagonDraw a pentagon, a regular five-sided figure.
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CircleThe students sit in a circle on the floor.
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OvalThe shape of the earth is an oval.
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HeartThe pool was in the shape of a heart.
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CrossThe cross is the symbol of Christianity.
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ArrowIt flew straight as an arrow.
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CubeThe box was cube-shaped.
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CylinderThe cylinder is rotated 180 degrees.
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StarShe cuts these paper into star-shaped.
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CrescentHe has a crescent–shaped knife.
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Shapes | PictureLearn different shapes with images to improve and expand your vocabulary, especially shapes and colors vocabulary words in English.
PinShapes: Different Shape Names (with Useful List, Types)Shapes Names VideoThere are shapes everywhere, and so references to them happen frequently. Hopefully, after this lesson, you’re feeling prepared to deal with shapes!
Shapes – Definition with Examples
What are Shapes?
In geometry, a shape can be defined as the form of an object or its outline, outer boundary or outer surface.
Everything we see in the world around us has a shape. We can find different basic shapes such as the two-dimensional square, rectangle, and oval or the three-dimensional rectangular prism, cylinder, and sphere in the objects we see around us. These geometric shapes appear in objects we see as credit cards, bills and coins, finger rings, photo frames, dart boards, huts, windows, magician’s wands, tall buildings, flower pots, toy trains, and balloons.
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Different Types of Shapes
Shapes can be classified into open and closed shapes.
In geometry, an open shape can be defined as a shape or figure whose line segments and/or curves do not meet. They do not start and end at the same point. | In geometry, a closed shape can be defined as an enclosed shape or figure whose line segments and/or curves are connected or meet. They start and end at the same point. |
Closed geometric shapes can further be put into two broad categories, namely two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.
The 2-Dimensional shape is flat. | A 3-Dimensional Shape is a solid shape. |
It has two dimensions, that is, length and width. | It has two dimensions, that is, length, width, and depth. |
Here’s a list of 2-D or two-dimensional shapes with their names and pictures:
Two-Dimensional Geometric Shapes |
Here’s a list of 3-D or three-dimensional shapes with their names and pictures:
Three-Dimensional Geometric Shapes |
The color, overall size, and orientation called the non-defining attributes of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape do not define or affect the shape in any way. These attributes can change without any effect on the shape.
On the other hand, defining attributes such as the number of sides (parallel or non-parallel, straight or curved), vertices, edges, and faces of a shape, whether the shape is open or closed, and the angle measures determine the shape of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. Any change in these defining attributes will change the shape.
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Solved Examples on Shapes
Example 1: Name the shapes.
- A polygon with 6 sides.
- Outline of a door.
- When you fold square corner to corner.
- A square and a triangle on top of it.
Solution:
- Hexagon
- Rectangle or quadrilateral
- Triangle
- Pentagon
Example 2: Classify the given letters as open shape or closed shape.
C, D, L, M, O, S, U, V, Z
Solution:
Open shape: C, L, M, S, U, V, Z
Closed shape: D, O
Example 3: Identify the solid shape of given objects.
- Globe
- Book
- Cold drink can
- Dice
Solution:
- Sphere
- Cuboid
- Cylinder
- Cube
Example 4: Why is the crescent-shaped moon not a polygon?
Solution:
Crescent shape moon is not a polygon as it has curved lines.
Practice Problems
1
What is 8-sided polygon known as?
hexagon
heptagon
octagon
quadrilateral
Correct answer is: octagon
A polygon with 8 sides is known as octagon.
2
How many dimensions does a solid shape have?
1
2
3
depends on the shape
Correct answer is: 3
All solid shapes are 3-dimensional shapes.
3
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
closed shapes can have only straight sides.
closed shapes have definite area.
start and end point of a closed shape are the same.
start and end point of a open shape are the different.
Correct answer is: closed shapes can have only straight sides.
Closed shapes are shapes whose start and end points are the same. It is not necessary that it is formed by only straight sides.
we learn flat and three-dimensional geometric shapes
Masaru Ibuka in his book “After three it's too late” claims that in the first three years of life a child has the highest potential for learning and development, so inaction is akin to a crime.
Of course, we may feel that the child is too small. And what can he learn if he cannot even speak? But the brain of a child, like a sponge, absorbs all the information around it. And it depends on the parents what the child will learn at this age. nine0003
Is it worth it to start learning geometric shapes at such an early age? Undoubtedly. The child lives in an environment of geometric shapes. The knowledge you give should not be divorced from your daily life. Mom is the guide of the baby in this world, and it is absolutely not necessary for her to have a degree in order to tell the child how the world works.
Why should a child learn geometric shapes?
The first three years of a child's life is a period of development of brain cells, when a solid foundation for new achievements is formed. Already at 3-4 months, the baby is able to distinguish forms. This does not mean that the time has come to memorize the names of geometric shapes, but when talking with a baby, a mother may try to use the phrases: “Here is our favorite round saucer”, “Let's see what's in a square box” and the like. nine0003
Knowledge of geometric shapes helps:
- develop spatial thinking, orientation in space;
- broaden one's horizons;
- develop the ability to compare, analyze, summarize and highlight the main thing, classify;
- to replenish vocabulary.
And, of course, the knowledge acquired by a preschooler will serve him as an excellent help in studying mathematics at school.
How to teach geometric shapes with a preschooler? nine0009
- Education for preschoolers should be built in the form of an exciting game.
- No need to scold the child if he did not remember the names of the figures from 1 time, even if from 31 - it's not worth it.
- Do not forget to organically weave geometric knowledge into life: “give a square box”, “take an apple from a round plate”.
- On the way to the garden, look for rectangular or round objects, compete to find and name the most.
- In the game arsenal you should have toys of the correct geometric shape - balls, cubes, designer parts. nine0016
- Usually kids like to help their mother in the kitchen. Get round, square, rectangular molds and bake edible geometric shapes.
- It is important to use tactile memory when studying figures.
It will be much more interesting for a child not only to see, but also to feel, stroke, and maybe even lick the object of study.
- Load the child's brain in doses, gradually supplementing with information. For example, when studying shapes, repeat colors as well: “Look, what a blue oval it turned out to be.” nine0016
Basic Shape Memorization Techniques
There are many techniques and techniques that will make memorizing shapes interesting for children. The choice of methods will depend on the age and knowledge of the child.
- Before reaching the age of 1.5, we pronounce the surrounding objects aloud, supplying our story with information about the shape (let's take a round apple).
- At the age of 1.5 - 2 years, we use pictures, color the figures, use sorters to study the figures. We start with the simplest - the circle. We will connect the rest of the figures only after the child has learned the concept of "circle". nine0016
- From the age of 2 until reaching school age, we can apply all existing methods, following from simple to complex.
When studying geometric figures, it is important to proceed in stages. You should start with light shapes: circle, square, triangle, rhombus, rectangle, oval. Knowledge of these figures is available for children 2-3 years old.
Older children, 4-5 years old, include in their vocabulary and use the idea of a trapezoid, parallelogram, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, decagon and other polygons. They already know how to analyze, so they can easily compare and find differences between figures. nine0003
Senior preschool children get acquainted with three-dimensional figures: cylinder, pyramid, cube, ball, cone, prism.
Let's analyze some variants of techniques for studying geometric shapes:
1. Sorter - looking for a "house" for each shape. The child will not only remember the figures, but will also develop fine motor skills, coupled with thinking.
2. Modeling . Sculpt geometric shapes with your baby - you simply can’t imagine a better activity for developing fine motor skills of hands and perseverance. nine0003
3. Three-dimensional stickers and magnets depicting geometric shapes can also help the child fix the names of the shapes in memory.
4. Looking for halves of . Cut the geometric shapes into two parts, mix and invite the baby to find the other half.
5. Applications . You can also make a geometric application from cut out figures. For example, a house (square + triangle), Christmas tree, car.
6. Outline dashed geometric shapes .
7. Color or shade the geometric shapes you suggested .
7. Finish the figure according to the sample.
8. Draw figures using stencils.
9. Listen to a fairy tale where the main characters are geometric figures, and then draw what you hear.
10. Put figures of different shapes into an opaque bag and suggest guessing the shape of the object by touch. nine0003
11. An excellent game for the development of memory and attentiveness. An adult prepares cut out figures of different colors and sizes and lays them out in front of the baby. They discuss colors, name the figures, and then the adult hides the figure. The task of the child is to find and name which figure is not.
12. Laying out geometric figures with counting sticks or matches. When the child masters this skill, you can move on to a more difficult level - solve puzzles. For example, remove one match to make a triangle. nine0003
13. Associations . Invite the child to name objects that a circle or rectangle looks like.
14. Laces and various insert frames , for example, Nikitin squares, where you need to recreate a square from several objects, or Segen boards, where you need to insert the missing part.
15. Outdoor games . For example, an oval, a triangle, a square, a rectangle are drawn on the asphalt. At the command of an adult, the child must find the named figure and stand in it. nine0003
16. Videos . There are a large number of cartoons and educational materials about geometric shapes. Watch the video with the baby and be sure to discuss what you see.
17. Find on the Internet and print out pictures that artists draw with geometric shapes, and invite your child to count how many circles, rectangles, etc. are there. objects (for example, ball = ball). And, of course, to involve the study of the subject through games:
- Finding a three-dimensional figure from a flat pattern is an excellent exercise for developing spatial thinking.
- "Sleuth". Children are given an “orientation” - a flat drawing of the desired figure from all sides. Children need to match the pictures and find the right shape.
- Create a 3D model yourself. An adult can print stencils from the Internet. It remains for the child to bend along the lines and glue to make a figure.
- Models, origami - you can try with your child to create your own voluminous paper toy.
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- Constructor. Build a tower or a castle for the princess with the help of details. This game will contribute to the development of fine motor skills, imagination, understanding the properties of three-dimensional figures.
The study of geometric figures should not become torture for a child and an adult. Choose the method that's right for you. Show patience and ingenuity, and then the result will not be long in coming. Most importantly, do not forget to encourage the child for his new discoveries and repeat the knowledge gained from time to time. nine0003
Mathematics and logic for children 7-13 years old
We develop logical thinking through solving plot mathematical problems in an interactive game format
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Geometric shapes and their names
with fun picture tasks. But training will be most effective if you add various samples of geometric shapes to the printed task. For this purpose, objects such as balls, pyramids, cubes, inflated balloons (round and oval), tea mugs (standard, in the form of a cylinder), oranges, books, balls of thread, square cookies and much more - everything what your fantasy tells you. nine0003
All of the above items will help the child understand what a three-dimensional geometric figure means. Flat figures can be prepared by cutting out the desired geometric shapes from paper, pre-painting them in different colors.
The more different materials you prepare for the lesson, the more interesting it will be for the child to learn new concepts for him.
You may also like our online math simulator for grade 1 "Geometric shapes":
Geometric shapes grade 1 - Online simulator
Online math simulator "Geometric Shapes Grade 1" will help first-graders practice their ability to distinguish between basic geometric shapes: square, circle, oval, rectangle and triangle.
So that the child can easily and naturally remember geometric shapes and their names, first download the picture with the task in the attachments at the bottom of the page, print it out on a color printer and put it on the table along with colored pencils. Also, by this time, you should already have prepared various items that we listed earlier. nine0003
- Stage 1. First, let the child complete the tasks on the printed sheet - say the names of the figures aloud and color all the pictures.
- Stage 2. It is necessary to clearly show the child the differences between three-dimensional figures and flat ones. To do this, lay out all sample objects (both three-dimensional and cut out of paper) and move away from the table with the child at such a distance from which all three-dimensional figures are clearly visible, but all flat samples are lost from sight. Draw your child's attention to this fact. Let him experiment by moving closer and further away from the table, telling you about his observations. nine0016
- Stage 3. Further, the lesson needs to be turned into a kind of game. Ask the child to carefully look around him and find objects that have the shape of any geometric shapes.
For example, a TV is a rectangle, a clock is a circle, etc. On each found figure - loudly clap your hands to add enthusiasm to the game.
- Stage 4. Conduct research and observational work with those sample materials that you have prepared for the lesson. For example, put a book and a flat rectangle of paper on the table. Invite the child to feel them, look at them from different angles and tell you their observations. In the same way, you can explore an orange and a paper circle, a children's pyramid and a paper triangle, a cube and a paper square, an oval-shaped balloon and an oval cut out of paper. You can add to the list of items yourself. nine0016
- Stage 5. Put various three-dimensional samples in an opaque bag and ask the child to touch a square object, then a round object, then a rectangular object, and so on.
- Stage 6. Lay out on the table in front of the child several different items from those that are involved in the lesson.
Then have the child turn away for a few seconds while you hide one of the objects. Turning to the table, the child should name the hidden object and its geometric shape. nine0016
You can download geometric shapes and their names - Task Form - in the attachments at the bottom of the page.
Names of Geometric Shapes - Printable Cards
When studying geometric shapes with your baby, you can use Bibushi Fox's printable cards during class. Download the attachments, print the form with cards on a color printer, cut out each card along the contour - and start learning. Cards can be laminated or stuck on thicker paper to keep the look of the pictures, because they will be used repeatedly. nine0003
The first six cards will give you the opportunity to study with your child the following shapes: oval, circle, square, rhombus, rectangle and triangle, under each figure in the cards you can read its name.
After the child has memorized the name of a certain figure, ask him to do the following: circle all the samples of the figure being studied on the card, and then color them in the color of the main figure located in the upper left corner.
Download the names of geometric shapes - Printable cards - you can in the attachments at the bottom of page
Plane Geometric Shapes Printing Cards
The following six cards will introduce your child to the following geometric shapes: parallelogram, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, star and heart. As in the previous material, under each figure you can find its name.
To diversify your child's activities, combine learning with drawing - this method will not allow the child to overwork, and the child will continue his studies with pleasure. Make sure that when tracing the figures along the lines, the child is not in a hurry and performs the task carefully, because such exercises not only develop fine motor skills, they can further affect the baby's handwriting. nine0003
You can download cards for printing with the image of flat geometric shapes in attachments
Volumetric geometric shapes and their names - download cards
six cards from Bibushi with images of a cube, a cylinder, a cone, a pyramid, a ball and a hemisphere, purchase the studied figures in the store, or use objects in the house that have a similar shape. nine0003
Show your child how three-dimensional figures look in real life, the child should touch and play with them. First of all, this is necessary in order to use the visually - effective thinking of the baby, with the help of which it is easier for the child to learn about the world around him.
Download - Volumetric geometric shapes and their names - you can in the attachments at the bottom of the page
Other materials on the study of geometric shapes will also be useful to you:0002 Drawings from geometric shapes - Tasks in pictures and coloring
Fun and colorful tasks for children "Drawings from geometric shapes" is a very convenient teaching material for children of preschool and primary school age to learn and memorize basic geometric shapes:
Geometric Shapes - Coloring Book for Preschoolers
The tasks will introduce the child to the basic shapes of geometry - a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle and a triangle. Only here is not a boring memorization of the names of the figures, but a kind of coloring game. nine0003
Flat Geometric Shapes - Trace and Draw
As a rule, you start learning geometry by drawing flat geometric shapes. The perception of the correct geometric shape is impossible without drawing it out with your own hands on a piece of paper.
Find the shapes of geometric figures in pictures
This activity will greatly amuse your young mathematicians. After all, now they will have to find familiar shapes of geometric shapes among many pictures. nine0003
Stacking Shapes - Activity for Kids
Stacking Shapes is a geometry activity for preschoolers and younger students. The meaning of the exercise is to solve addition examples. These are just unusual examples. Instead of numbers, here you need to add geometric shapes.
Properties of geometric shapes for preschoolers
This task is designed as a game in which the child has to change the properties of geometric shapes: shape, color or size. nine0003
Counting geometric shapes - Pictures with tasks
Here you can download tasks in pictures, which present the counting of geometric shapes for math classes.
Drawings of geometric bodies - Task for children
In this task, the child will get acquainted with such a concept as drawings of geometric bodies. In fact, this lesson is a mini-lesson on descriptive geometry
Paper Geometric Shapes - Cut and Do
Here we have prepared for you three-dimensional paper geometric shapes to be cut and glued. Cube, pyramids, rhombus, cone, cylinder, hexagon, print them on cardboard (or colored paper, and then stick on cardboard), and then give the child to remember.
Counting up to 5 - Pictures with tasks for kids
Here we have posted for you counting up to 5 - pictures with math tasks for kids, thanks to which your children will practice not only their counting skills, but also the ability to read, write, distinguish geometric shapes, draw and color.