Free printable regular shapes
Grades 1–4A regular shape has every side the same length and every angle the same size — both, not one. Print it for the wall, or sort regular from irregular below and see why a rectangle does not qualify.
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Regular or irregular?
Sort each shape and the reason appears underneath. Two conditions have to be met — all sides equal and all angles equal — and a shape that manages only one of them is irregular.
The rectangle is the one that catches people. All four of its angles are right angles, so it passes the angle test perfectly, and it still fails because the sides come in two different lengths.
The stretched hexagon makes the opposite point. It is still a hexagon, because the name only counts sides — being irregular changes nothing about what it is called.
- Square
- Rectangle
- Equilateral triangle
- Scalene triangle
- Regular hexagon
- Stretched hexagon
- How you are doing
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Both conditions have to hold: equal sides and equal angles.
How to use this regular shapes chart at home
Measure rather than eyeball. Give them a ruler and have them check the sides of a shape they think is regular. Being nearly equal is not equal, and finding that out with a ruler is more convincing than being told.
Check the two conditions separately and out loud. Are all the sides the same? Are all the corners the same? A shape has to answer yes twice.
Then look for regular shapes in the world — stop signs, honeycomb, floor tiles, fifty-pence coins. Regular shapes turn up wherever things need to fit together neatly, which is not a coincidence.
Two conditions, not one
Almost every wrong answer here comes from checking one condition and stopping. The rectangle passes on angles and fails on sides; the rhombus does the reverse.
The square is the only quadrilateral that passes both, which is a tidy way to see why it sits at the bottom of the quadrilateral family with every other name applying to it as well.
For triangles it works out differently: an equilateral triangle is the only regular one, and for triangles equal sides and equal angles always come together, which is not true for shapes with more sides.
Why regular shapes tile so well
Triangles, squares and hexagons fit together with no gaps, and all three are regular. Bees use hexagons, floor tiles are usually squares, and both choices come from geometry rather than taste.
Regular pentagons do not tile, which surprises children who expect the pattern to continue. Their angles do not divide into a full turn, so gaps appear.
Pointing that out is worth the minute it takes, because it shows that a shape's properties have consequences beyond naming it.
Where regular shapes usually go wrong
Calling a rectangle regular because its corners are all square. Sides matter too.
Thinking irregular shapes get a different name. Only the side count decides the name.
Judging by eye. Nearly equal is common in drawings and is not the same as equal.
Assuming any shape that looks neat is regular. A rhombus looks orderly and is not regular.
After the chart goes up
A chart explains the idea but gives a child nothing to do. These do the rest.
- geometry at Mathify Kids — every topic in this area, sorted by grade.
- naming 2D shapes worksheets — printable practice.
- perimeter worksheets — the next step once this is solid.
- types of angles worksheets — more practice in the same area.
Everything at this level: Grade 1 math · Grade 2 math · Grade 3 math · Grade 4 math
Charts that pair with this one
Charts that work well printed alongside this one.
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Irregular Shapes chart
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Shapes by Number of Sides chart
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Types of Quadrilaterals chart
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Symmetry chart
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Angles chart
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
What is a regular shape?
A polygon with all sides the same length and all angles the same size. Both conditions are needed. A square is the regular quadrilateral; an equilateral triangle is the regular triangle.
Is a rectangle a regular shape?
No. Its angles are all equal, but its sides are not — two long and two short. Only when all four sides match does it become a square, which is regular.
Is a rhombus regular?
No, for the opposite reason to a rectangle. All four sides are equal, but the angles are not. A rhombus and a rectangle each pass one test and fail the other.
How many lines of symmetry does a regular shape have?
As many as it has sides. A regular pentagon has five, a regular hexagon six. It is one of the neatest consequences of everything being equal.
Does irregular mean the shape has a different name?
No. The name depends only on the number of sides. A lopsided six-sided shape is still a hexagon, just an irregular one.
What grade is this regular shapes chart for?
Grades 1 to 4. Sorting shapes by whether their sides look equal comes first, and the full definition with both conditions around Grade 3 or 4.
Is this regular shapes chart free to print?
Yes. Open it full size and print as many copies as you need for home or a classroom, with no account and no watermark. Reselling it or re-hosting the file elsewhere is not allowed — link to this page instead.