Names of 2D Shapes

2D shapes are flat shapes with sides and angles. Some shape names depend on the number of sides, such as pentagon and hexagon. Other names depend on properties, such as equal sides or parallel sides.

Common mistake: The word regular means all sides are equal and all angles are equal. A shape can be a hexagon without being a regular hexagon.

Examples of common 2D shapes
Worked example:
Name the 2D shape shown.
A five-sided polygon.
  1. Count the sides: the shape has 5 sides.
Answer:
Pentagon.
Worked example:
Name the 2D shape shown.
A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.
  1. The shape has 4 sides and exactly one pair of parallel sides.
Answer:
Trapezium.
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