Architecture Vocabulary Worksheet

Press Print worksheet to match twelve architecture terms, from arch and column to facade and foundation, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Architecture vocabularyarchitectarchitectureblueprintfoundationcolumnbeamarchdomefacadefloor planstoryskyscrapera curved top over an opening,resting on two supportsa person who designs buildingsand plans how they are builta diagram of one level's layout,viewed from overheada rounded roof like a bowl turnedupside downa long, strong bar laid level tocarry the weight above itthe lowest part of a building,which carries all the restan extremely tall building of manyfloorsa tall upright post, often round,that holds up a roofa detailed drawing that buildersfollow to put up a buildingthe art of designing buildings, orone style of buildingthe main outside face of abuilding, usually its frontone level of a building, with allthe rooms on it
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Architecture vocabularyAnswer keyarchitectarchitectureblueprintfoundationcolumnbeamarchdomefacadefloor planstoryskyscrapera curved top over an opening,resting on two supportsa person who designs buildingsand plans how they are builta diagram of one level's layout,viewed from overheada rounded roof like a bowl turnedupside downa long, strong bar laid level tocarry the weight above itthe lowest part of a building,which carries all the restan extremely tall building of manyfloorsa tall upright post, often round,that holds up a roofa detailed drawing that buildersfollow to put up a buildingthe art of designing buildings, orone style of buildingthe main outside face of abuilding, usually its frontone level of a building, with allthe rooms on it
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All 36 terms

Buildings and their parts 12

  • arch A curved top over an opening, resting on two supports. "The road passes under a brick arch."
  • architect A person who designs buildings and plans how they are built. "The architect showed the class a model of the new gym."
  • architecture The art of designing buildings, or one style of building. "The old town is known for its stone architecture."
  • beam A long, strong bar laid level to carry the weight above it. "A steel beam runs the width of the hall."
  • blueprint A detailed drawing that builders follow to put up a building. "The crew checked the blueprint before pouring the floor."
  • column A tall upright post, often round, that holds up a roof. "A row of white columns stands along the front of the library."
  • dome A rounded roof like a bowl turned upside down. "Light pours in through the top of the dome."
  • facade The main outside face of a building, usually its front. "The facade of the bank is covered in gray stone."
  • floor plan A diagram of one level's layout, viewed from overhead. "On the floor plan the kitchen sits next to the hall."
  • foundation The lowest part of a building, which carries all the rest. "Workers dug deep for the foundation."
  • skyscraper An extremely tall building of many floors. "From the top of the skyscraper the cars looked like dots."
  • story One level of a building, with all the rooms on it. "Our school is three stories high."
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Roofs, walls and openings 12

  • atrium A large central hall of a building, lit from above. "Trees grow in pots in the atrium of the hotel."
  • balcony A platform with a rail that sticks out from an upper wall. "She waved from the balcony."
  • buttress A mass of stone or brick built against a wall to prop it. "Each buttress leans against the side of the church."
  • courtyard Ground open to the sky, closed in by a building's walls. "The classrooms all face a paved courtyard."
  • eaves The part of a roof that overhangs the walls beneath it. "Swallows nest under the eaves."
  • gable The three-cornered bit of wall that closes the end of a roof. "A small round window sits high in the gable."
  • lintel The level bar over a doorway or window, holding up the wall. "A date is carved into the lintel over the door."
  • porch A roofed space in front of a building's door. "We left our wet boots on the porch."
  • skylight A roof window that brings daylight into the room below. "Rain drummed on the skylight."
  • spire A tall structure on a roof that narrows to a point. "The spire can be seen from the next village."
  • tower A structure, alone or on a building, far higher than wide. "A clock tower rises over the town square."
  • vault A ceiling or roof that curves overhead like an arch. "Voices echo under the stone vault."

Design and building work 12

  • demolish To knock a building down on purpose. "Crews will demolish the empty warehouse in June."
  • elevation A drawing of one outside wall, viewed from straight ahead. "The front elevation shows where each window will go."
  • landmark A sight so familiar that people know a place by it. "The lighthouse is a landmark for the whole coast."
  • masonry Anything a builder has put up in stone or brick. "Cracks in the masonry were filled before winter."
  • ornament A detail added for beauty and not for use. "Leaves of carved stone are the only ornament on the gate."
  • proportion How well the size of each part suits the whole. "The tiny door looks out of proportion to the wall."
  • renovate To fix up an old building until it is like new again. "The town voted to renovate the train station."
  • scaffolding A temporary framework of poles and boards for work up high. "Scaffolding covered the church while its roof was mended."
  • scale How the size of a plan or model compares with the real thing. "At this scale, one inch on the plan stands for eight feet."
  • span The stretch between one support and the next, as of a beam. "The footbridge has a span of thirty feet."
  • structure Anything built from parts joined together, such as a bridge. "The tallest structure in the park is the water slide."
  • symmetry An exact match between the two sides of a center line. "The door in the middle gives the house its symmetry."

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-12. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day in two dictionaries: the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and the entry in the Cambridge Dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/). Story, a level of a building, was read in the first dictionary under storey. Column, beam, foundation, scale, elevation, span and vault were read in their senses of a building or a drawing. The answers under the list rest on the articles Flying buttress, Keystone (architecture), Architectural drawing and Post and lintel of English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The sentence in quotation marks after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

This architecture vocabulary worksheet prints twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. It opens on parts of a building such as arch, column and facade. Two more sets cover roofs and openings, and design.

Read the full guide

Architecture terms for the parts of a building

Set opens on Buildings and their parts: architect, architecture, blueprint, foundation, column, beam, arch, dome, facade, floor plan, story and skyscraper.

Roofs, openings and design words

Roofs, walls and openings prints vault, buttress, spire, tower, balcony, porch, gable, eaves, skylight, lintel, courtyard and atrium. Design and building work has scale, elevation, symmetry, proportion, ornament, renovate, demolish, landmark, structure, span, masonry and scaffolding. Under the tool each term has a sentence that uses it, such as "Swallows nest under the eaves."

Questions and answers

What is a flying buttress?

A buttress in the form of a ramping arch. It reaches from the upper part of a wall to a massive pier and carries to the ground the sideways forces that push the wall outwards, from stone vaults and from wind on the roof.

What is the keystone of an arch?

The wedge-shaped stone at the very top of a masonry arch. It is the last piece set in place, and it locks the other stones into position so that the arch can bear weight.

What is the difference between a floor plan and an elevation?

A floor plan is a view from above that shows how the spaces of one level are arranged, much as a map does. An elevation is a flat view of one side of the building. A section shows a vertical cut through it.

What is post and lintel construction?

A building system in which strong horizontal pieces rest on strong upright ones, with large spaces between the uprights. It is usually used to hold up a roof and leave open space beneath.

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