Lancashire Mathematics Team
Shape Dictionary
YR to Y6
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Vocabulary for Shapes and Properties: Year Vocabulary by Lancashire Mathematics Team, Summaries of Geometry
Definitions and examples of various 2D and 3D shapes, as well as their properties such as corners, sides, symmetry, and lines of symmetry. It is intended for use in mathematics education, specifically for students in Year Vocabulary level.
Typology: Summaries
2021/2022
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Shape Dictionary
YR to Y
Guidance Notes
The terms in this dictionary are taken from the booklet ‘Mathematical Vocabulary’ produced by the National Numeracy Strategy.
Children need to understand and use these words if they are to make good progress in understanding shape and space.
The vocabulary for shape and space has been separated into three sections:
- 2D shape
- 3D shape
- properties of shape
The properties of shape section also draws on vocabulary from the sections on patterns and symmetry and position, direction and movement, where these will further support children’s understanding.
The words listed for each year include vocabulary from the previous year, with new words for the year printed in red from Year 1 onwards.
symmetrical A shape is symmetrical if we can fold it so that one half covers the other half exactly.
match When you fold a shape and one half covers the other exactly, the two halves match.
3D shapes cube
pyramid There are two types of pyramids:
sphere
cone
2D shapes circle
Reception
triangle A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
Ensure that children see triangles in a variety of forms.
A circle is a shape where it is always the same distance from the edge to the centre.
square based pyramid (1 square face and 4 triangular faces)
triangular based pyramid (4 triangular faces) also called a tetrahedron
A cube has 6 square faces all the same size. It also has 8 corners and 12 edges.
A sphere has only one curved face.
A cone has a circle as its base, a curved face and a point.
The two halves of this shape match.
square A square is a special type of rectangle. It has 4 straight sides of the same lengths and 4 right angles.
Ensure that children see squares in various rotations. rectangle A rectangle has 4 straight sides. Pairs of opposite sides are the same length.
Reception
star A star has points coming out of the centre.
smaller Comparing the size of two objects.
The bike is smaller than the car. symmetrical A shape is symmetrical if we can fold it so that one half covers the other half exactly.
match When you fold a shape and one half covers the other exactly, the two halves match.
3D shapes cube
cuboid
pyramid There are two types of pyramids:
sphere
Year 1
cone
square based pyramid (1 square face and 4 triangular faces)
triangular based pyramid (4 triangular faces) also called a tetrahedron
A sphere has only one curved face.
A cone has a circle as its base, a curved face and a point.
A cube has 6 square faces all the same size. It also has 8 corners and 12 edges.
A cuboid has 6 rectangular faces.
The two halves of this shape match.
cylinder
2D shapes circle
triangle A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
Ensure that children see triangles in a variety of forms. square A square is a special type of rectangle. It has 4 straight sides of the same lengths and 4 right angles.
Ensure that children see squares in various rotations. rectangle A rectangle has 4 straight sides. Pairs of opposite sides are the same length.
Year 1
star A star has points coming out of the centre.
A cylinder has circular faces at each end and a curved face.
A circle is a shape where it is always the same distance from the edge to the centre.
smaller Comparing the size of two objects.
The bike is smaller than the car. symmetrical A shape is symmetrical if we can fold it so that one half covers the other half exactly.
line of symmetry The line of symmetry divides a shape into symmetrical parts.
fold Bend so that one part covers another. match When you fold a shape and one half covers the other exactly, the two halves match.
mirror line The mirror line is another way of saying line of symmetry. reflection A mirror view. right-angled A right angle is ¼ of a full turn or 90°.
3D shapes cube
Year 2
cuboid
A cuboid has 6 rectangular faces.
A cube has 6 square faces all the same size. It also has 8 corners and 12 edges.
The two halves of this shape match.
The blue line is the line of symmetry.
pyramid There are two types of pyramids:
sphere
cone
cylinder
2D shapes circle
circular Something is circular if it has the same shape as a circle. triangle A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
Ensure that children see triangles in a variety of forms. triangular Something is triangular if it has the same shape as a triangle. square A square is a special type of rectangle. It has 4 straight sides of the same lengths and 4 right angles.
Ensure that children see squares in various rotations. rectangle A rectangle has 4 straight sides. Pairs of opposite sides are the same length.
Year 2
rectangular Something is rectangular if it has the same shape as a rectangle.
square based pyramid (1 square face and 4 triangular faces)
triangular based pyramid (4 triangular faces) also called a tetrahedron
A sphere has only one curved face.
A cone has a circle as its base, a curved face and a point.
A cylinder has circular faces at each end and a curved face.
A circle is a shape where it is always the same distance from the edge to the centre.
Year Vocabulary Definition
Properties of Shape shape The shape of an object is its outline. flat A flat object has a level surface with no ups or downs. curved A line that is not straight or an object that is not flat. straight A line or edge which has no curves is straight. round A round object is shaped like a circle or a ball. hollow A hollow shape has a space inside it. solid A solid shape has no space inside it. corner Two or more edges or sides meet at a corner.
This triangle has 3 corners. This cube has 8 corners. point, pointed A sharp part of a shape is a point.
face A face is one of the surfaces of a 3D shape.
side A line in a 2D shape is called a side. edge An edge is where 2 faces meet in a 3D shape. end The outer parts of a 3D shape are called the ends.
This rod has 2 ends. surface A surface is the 2D boundary of a 3D object. bigger Comparing the size of two objects.
The dog is bigger than the cat.
Year 3
larger Comparing the size of two objects.
The butterfly is larger than the ant.
This pyramid has 5 faces.
point The pyramid is pointed.
smaller Comparing the size of two objects.
The bike is smaller than the car. symmetrical A shape is symmetrical if we can fold it so that one half covers the other half exactly.
line of symmetry The line of symmetry divides a shape into symmetrical parts.
fold Bend so that one part covers another. match When you fold a shape and one half covers the other exactly, the two halves match.
mirror line The mirror line is another way of saying line of symmetry. reflection A mirror view. right-angled A right angle is the angle made by a quarter turn or 90°.
vertex A vertex of a shape is a point at which 2 or more edges meet. It is more commonly referred to as a ‘corner’. vertices More than one vertex. 3D shapes
Year 3
cube A cube has 6 square faces all the same size. It also has 8 corners and 12 edges.
The blue line is the line of symmetry.
The two halves of this shape match.
semicircle
triangle A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
Ensure that children see triangles in a variety of forms. triangular Something is triangular if it has the same shape as a triangle. square A square is a special type of rectangle. It has 4 straight sides of the same lengths and 4 right angles.
Ensure that children see squares in various rotations. rectangle A rectangle has 4 straight sides. Pairs of opposite sides are the same length.
rectangular (^) Something is rectangular if it has the same shape as a rectangle. star A star has points coming out of the centre.
pentagon A pentagon has 5 straight sides and 5 corners.
Ensure that children see pentagons in a variety of forms. pentagonal Something is pentagonal if it has the same shape as a pentagon. hexagon A hexagon has 6 straight sides and 6 corners.
Ensure that children see hexagons in a variety of forms.
Year 3
hexagonal Something is hexagonal if it has the same shape as a hexagon.
A semicircle is one half of a circle made by cutting along a line that goes from side to side through the middle of the circle.
octagon An octagon has 8 straight sides and 8 corners.
Ensure that children see octagons in a variety of forms. octagonal Something is octagonal if it has the same shape as an octagon.
Year 3
quadrilateral A polygon with four sides. See the table below for examples of quadrilaterals.
trapezium
parallelogram
rhombus
rectangles
kite
arrowhead
irregular quadrilaterals
smaller Comparing the size of two objects.
The bike is smaller than the car. symmetrical A shape is symmetrical if we can fold it so that one half covers the other half exactly.
line of symmetry The line of symmetry divides a shape into symmetrical parts.
line symmetry If a shape is symmetrical about a line, it has line symmetry
fold Bend so that one part covers another. match When you fold a shape and one half covers the other exactly, the two halves match.
mirror line The mirror line is another way of saying line of symmetry. reflection A mirror view. reflect To produce a reflection, you need to reflect the object in a mirror line.
Year 4
translation A translation moves an object by sliding it in any direction. The shape does not change size.
The blue line is the line of symmetry.
The two halves of this shape match.
vertex A vertex of a shape is a point at which 2 or more edges meet. It is more commonly referred to as a ‘corner’. vertices More than one vertex. angle An angle is made when two straight lines cross or meet each other at a point. Its size is measured by the amount one line has been turned in relation to the other.
right-angled A right angle is the angle made by a quarter turn or 90°.
centre Exactly in the middle of a shape. radius The length of a straight line from the centre of the circle to its circumference (edge).
diameter A line that cuts a circle in half and passes through the centre of the circle.
net A net shows you what a solid shape would look like if you could lay it out flat.
net of a cube net of a triangular prism base The bottom face of a solid shape.
Year 4
square-based When the bottom face of a solid shape is a square, e.g. in a square-based pyramid.
base