In this lesson, we'll learn words for many different kinds of 2D shapes.

  • polygon
  • right triangle
  • hypotenuse
  • equilateral triangle
  • isosceles triangle
  • obtuse triangle
  • acute triangle
  • scalene triangle
  • trapezoid
  • parallelogram
  • parallel
  • rhombus

A large focus of geometry includes polygons. Polygons are closed 2D shapes with sides made of straight lines. For example, triangles, squares and rectangles are polygons. 3-sided and 4-sided polygons have lots of special names.

3-Sided Shapes

3-sided shapes are called triangles. There are different kinds of triangles. Examine the examples below.

types of triangles
  • Right triangles have exactly one right angle (a 90° angle). The longest side of a right triangle (opposite the 90° angle) is called the hypotenuse.
  • Equilateral triangles have three equal sides and three equal angles.
  • Isosceles triangles have two equal sides and two equal angles.
  • Obtuse triangles have one angle that is more than 90°.
  • Acute triangles have three angles that are less than 90°.
  • Scalene triangles have zero equal sides and angles.

4-Sided Shapes


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