Shapes Flashcards

Read the clue, name the shape and turn the card over: 56 cards in six sets, words only, no drawings.

Shapes Flashcards

4 square corners, 2 long sides

Tap or click the card to see the answer.

Type the name of the shape, or the number

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How to practise

Next step Trace these 11 shapes from a starting dot Name drawn shapes on a worksheet with an answer key

All 56 cards

2D shapes 11

2 round bumps, 1 point below Heart. Its two halves match: two curves meet in a point below and a dip on top.
3 straight sides, 3 corners Triangle. It is still a triangle when it is turned, stretched or drawn very small.
4 equal sides, not a square Rhombus, also called a diamond. It looks like a square pushed over to one side.
4 equal sides, square corners Square. A special rectangle and a special rhombus. Turned on a corner, it is still a square.
4 square corners, 2 long sides Rectangle. Opposite sides match. A square is the rectangle whose 4 sides are all equal.
5 points, 10 straight sides Star. Count 5 points out and 5 corners in: 10 corners, joined by 10 sides.
5 straight sides, 5 corners Pentagon. The name comes from the Greek word for five. Home plate is a pentagon.
6 straight sides, 6 corners Hexagon. Hex comes from the Greek word for six. Honeycomb cells are hexagons.
8 straight sides, 8 corners Octagon. Its name starts with the Greek for eight, like octopus. A stop sign is an octagon.
Perfectly round, no corners Circle. Every point on its edge is the same distance from the center.
Stretched circle, no corners Oval. A closed curve with no corners, longer one way than the other.

Show all 56 cards (45 more)

3D shapes 8

1 flat circle face, 1 point Cone. The flat face is its base and the point is its apex.
2 flat circle faces, 0 corners Cylinder. Its two flat faces are parallel, like the top and bottom of a can.
2 triangle faces, 3 rectangles Triangular prism. 5 faces, 9 edges and 6 corners. The 2 triangles are its ends.
6 rectangle faces, like a box Rectangular prism, or cuboid. 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 corners: the same counts as a cube.
6 square faces, all the same Cube. 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 corners. Every face is the same square.
Half of a ball, 1 flat face Hemisphere. A flat cut through the center of a sphere makes two hemispheres.
Round all over, no flat face Sphere. The name is Greek for ball. It rolls smoothly in any direction.
Square base, 4 triangle faces Pyramid. A square pyramid has 5 faces, 8 edges and 5 corners, one of them the point on top.

More 2D shapes 8

1 straight side, 1 curved side Half circle, also called a semicircle. The straight side is the circle's diameter.
2 straight sides and a curve Quarter circle, also called a quadrant. Its 2 straight sides meet in a square corner.
4 sides, only 1 pair parallel Trapezoid, called a trapezium in British English. The red pattern block is a trapezoid.
Any shape, 2 parallel pairs Parallelogram. Opposite sides are equal too. Rectangles and rhombuses are parallelograms.
Any shape, 4 straight sides Quadrilateral. Squares, rectangles, rhombuses and trapezoids are all quadrilaterals.
Curved moon shape, 2 points Crescent. Two curves meet at two points, like the moon when only a sliver is lit.
Triangle with 1 square corner Right triangle. The square corner is a right angle, a quarter of a full turn.
Triangle with 3 equal sides Equilateral triangle. Its 3 corners match too. The green pattern block is one.

Everyday objects 11

Diamond on a playing card Rhombus. The diamond of the card suit has 4 equal sides and stands on a corner.
Outline of an egg Oval. The word comes from ovum, Latin for egg.
Shape of a basketball Sphere. Most balls used in sports are spheres, so they roll in any direction.
Shape of a cereal box Rectangular prism. Count 6 rectangle faces: front, back, 2 sides, top and bottom.
Shape of a die (number cube) Cube. A die has 6 square faces, one for each number from 1 to 6.
Shape of a honeycomb cell Hexagon. The wax cells of a honeycomb are six-sided.
Shape of a party hat Cone. A party hat is a cone with its flat base left open.
Shape of a soup can Cylinder. Most cans are cylinders: a circle on top, a circle below, a curved side.
Shape of a stop sign Octagon. A stop sign is a red octagon: count its 8 sides.
Shape of a yield sign Triangle. A yield sign has 3 equal sides and stands on one point.
Shape of home plate Pentagon. Home plate in baseball is a five-sided slab.

Pattern blocks 6

Blue pattern block Rhombus. Two green triangles cover the blue rhombus exactly.
Green pattern block Triangle. The green block has 3 equal sides: an equilateral triangle.
Orange pattern block Square. The orange block is the only piece in the set with square corners.
Red pattern block Trapezoid. Three green triangles cover it. It is half of the yellow hexagon.
Tan (beige) pattern block Rhombus. The tan block is a narrow rhombus. Its sides match the green triangle's.
Yellow pattern block Hexagon. Six green triangles cover the yellow hexagon exactly.

How many? 12

Corners on a circle? 0. A circle is one smooth curve, with no corners and no straight sides.
Corners on a cube? 8. 4 corners on the top and 4 on the bottom.
Corners on a hexagon? 6. A flat shape with straight sides has as many corners as sides.
Corners on a square? 4. A square has 4 corners and 4 equal sides.
Edges on a cube? 12. 4 edges around the top, 4 around the bottom and 4 standing up.
Faces on a cube? 6. Picture a die: one face for each number from 1 to 6.
Faces on a square pyramid? 5. One square base and 4 triangles.
Flat faces on a cone? 1. Only the circle base is flat. The side curves up to the point.
Flat faces on a cylinder? 2. The circle on top and the circle below. The side is curved.
Sides on a 5-point star? 10. Each of the 5 points has 2 sides.
Sides on a triangle? 3. A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners.
Sides on an octagon? 8. Picture a stop sign and count around it.

How it works

These shapes flashcards put a written clue on the front, such as 3 straight sides, 3 corners, and the shape's name on the back. The cards carry words only, with no drawings. Six sets cover 2D shapes, 3D shapes, everyday objects, pattern blocks and counting.

Read the full guide

What the six sets ask

The page opens on 2D shapes. With 3D shapes it holds 19 names, from triangle to hemisphere. More 2D shapes adds the grade 1 and 2 names, such as trapezoid, quadrilateral and half circle. Everyday objects asks for the shape of a stop sign or a soup can. Pattern blocks names the six colored blocks. How many? wants a number: the edges on a cube.

Print a set on one sheet

Choose a set under Show only, turn a card, then press Print cards. Every set fits one sheet of Letter or A4, 12 cards of 60 mm, and all 56 take five sheets. Print double-sided and flip on the long edge: the backs are mirrored, so cube lands behind 6 square faces, all the same.

Read a clue aloud and have students draw the shape before you show the answer. The drawing is the part these cards leave out.
Square, rectangle and rhombus share clues on purpose. Ask which words rule the other two out: equal sides, square corners, or both.
Hand out real pattern blocks with that set. Six green triangles cover the yellow hexagon, and three cover the red trapezoid.

Questions and answers

Do these shapes flashcards have pictures?

No. Each front is a written clue and each back is the shape's name, so they suit children who can read, or a teacher reading aloud. For drawn shapes to name and count, print the 2D shapes worksheets linked below.

What shapes should kindergartners know?

Common Core names squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders and spheres for kindergarten. Grade 1 adds trapezoids, half circles and quarter circles. Grade 2 adds quadrilaterals and pentagons. Those later names sit in the More 2D shapes set, apart from pentagon.

Is a square a rectangle?

Yes. A rectangle needs four square corners, and a square has them, plus four equal sides. A square counts as a rhombus too. That is why the square card gives both clues together, and why a square turned on its corner keeps its name.

How many sides does a star have?

A five-pointed star has 10 sides and 10 corners: five points out and five corners in. The How many? set asks this, and quiz mode marks 10 or ten right, because it reads numbers as numbers.