What Are Six Sided Shapes Called

What Do You Call a Six-Sided Shape?

You’ve seen it everywhere — stop signs, nuts and bolts, honeycomb cells, the occasional tile on a bathroom floor. But ask someone what a six-sided shape is called, and you’ll get a range of answers. Some say “hexagon” without hesitation. That said, others draw a blank. A few might guess “pentagon” (close, but no). Here’s the thing: the name is simple, but the shape itself is surprisingly rich.

A six-sided shape — one where all the sides are straight lines and the figure closes back on itself — is called a hexagon. The word comes from Greek: hex meaning “six” and gonia* meaning “angle.In real terms, ” So literally, it means “six angles. ” That’s not just a label slapped on randomly. It’s a precise description of what you’re looking at: a shape with six corners and six sides.

But here’s where it gets interesting. And not every hexagon looks like the one you remember from elementary school. Not every six-sided shape is a hexagon in the strict geometric sense. Let’s break it down.

Why Hexagons Matter More Than You Think

Look around — really look — and you’ll start noticing hexagons everywhere. That said, they’re not just math-class curiosities. Also, nature tends to favor shapes that are efficient, strong, and space-saving. Bees didn’t stumble into using hexagonal cells by accident. The hexagon hits all three marks.

A regular hexagon — the kind with six equal sides and six equal angles — tiles a plane with no gaps. The hexagon packs tightly, which is why honeycomb is made of it. Try that with a regular pentagon, and you’ll end up with awkward overlaps or ugly gaps. It’s also why bolt heads, nuts, and wrenches are often hexagonal: you can grip them from multiple angles without slipping.

In engineering and design, hexagons show up in everything from satellite dishes to architectural frameworks. They’re lightweight yet strong, thanks to how the load distributes across six points. Even in chemistry, benzene rings — six carbon atoms arranged in a hexagon — form the backbone of organic molecules.

So when you learn what a six-sided shape is called, you’re not just memorizing a vocabulary word. You’re unlocking a pattern that nature, industry, and art keep coming back to.

How Hexagons Work (And How to Spot Them)

Regular vs. Irregular Hexagons

Not all hexagons are created equal. A regular hexagon has six sides of the same length and six interior angles that each measure 120 degrees. It looks perfectly symmetrical — like the shape you’d draw if someone handed you a compass and said, “Make it even.

An irregular hexagon, on the other hand, still has six sides and six angles, but the sides can be different lengths and the angles can vary. As long as the shape closes and has exactly six straight sides, it qualifies. Think of it like a six-sided figure that skipped geometry class and took a more casual approach to symmetry.

Convex vs. Concave Hexagons

Here’s another distinction that catches people off guard. So all the corners point outward. So naturally, a convex hexagon is one where no interior angle is greater than 180 degrees. This is the classic hexagon shape — the one on a stop sign (though stop signs are actually octagons, so don’t mix those up).

A concave hexagon has at least one interior angle greater than 180 degrees, creating a “dent” or indentation. On the flip side, one of the corners points inward. It still has six sides, but it doesn’t look like the neat, symmetrical shape you’re used to.

The Math Behind the Shape

If you’re curious about the numbers: the sum of the interior angles of any hexagon — regular or irregular — is always 720 degrees. That’s true whether it’s convex or concave. For a regular hexagon, dividing that total evenly gives you 120 degrees per angle.

The perimeter of a regular hexagon is simply six times the length of one side. That’s a little more involved. The area? 598 times s squared. Practically speaking, for a regular hexagon with side length s, the area is roughly 2. But unless you’re designing a gazebo or tiling a floor, you probably don’t need to calculate that by hand.

Common Mistakes People Make With Hexagons

Confusing Hexagons With Other Polygons

This one’s embarrassingly common. People mix up hexagons with pentagons (five sides), octagons (eight sides), and even heptagons (seven sides). The prefix tells you the number: penta-* is five, hexa-* is six, hepta-* is seven, octa-* is eight.

Stop signs are octagons, not hexagons. In practice, a standard nut or bolt head is usually hexagonal. Also, a soccer ball? Its panels are hexagons and pentagons stitched together. If you can count to six, you’re already ahead.

Assuming All Six-Sided Shapes Are Regular

Here’s the trap: people see a wonky six-sided figure and either call it a hexagon or dismiss it entirely. But irregular hexagons are still hexagons. They just don’t look like the perfectly symmetrical version from your textbook.

In real life, you’re more likely to run into irregular hexagons than regular ones. Floor tiles might be slightly off. A cracked sidewalk could form a six-sided fragment with uneven sides. It’s still a hexagon — just a more relaxed one.

Want to learn more? We recommend formula for calculating the distance between two points and how to determine ph from molarity for further reading.

Mixing Up Hexagon and Hexagram

A hexagon is a six-sided polygon. They’re related (both involve the number six), but they’re not the same thing. One is a solid shape with six sides. Consider this: the other is a star with six points. A hexagram is a six-pointed star — like the Star of David. Easy to confuse if you’re not paying attention.

Practical Tips for Working With Hexagons

How to Draw a Regular Hexagon

You don’t need fancy tools. Grab a ruler, a compass, and a pencil. Here’s the shortcut:

Draw a circle.
Mark any point on the edge as your starting spot.
Without changing the compass width, step around the circle, making marks every 60 degrees.
Connect the dots.

That’s it. Here's the thing — because the radius of the circle equals the side length of the hexagon, this method guarantees accuracy. It’s the same trick the ancient Greeks used.

Using Hexagons in Design and Construction

If you’re tiling a floor or designing a pattern, hexagons are your friend. They tessellate perfectly — meaning they fit together with no gaps. Unlike squares or triangles, they also look more organic and less rigid.

In construction, hexagonal bolt heads are common because they offer six points of grip. Now, that means you can turn the bolt from multiple angles, which is a huge advantage in tight spaces. Same goes for nuts — they’re easier to grip with a wrench when they’re hexagonal.

Recognizing Hexagons in Nature

Once you start looking, hexagons pop up everywhere in the natural world. Honeycomb, of course. But also in the structure of snowflakes, the arrangement of carbon atoms in graphite, and even the basalt columns at Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

The reason? Efficiency. So hexagons use the least amount of material to enclose the most space. They’re nature’s way of optimizing structure without wasting resources.

FAQ: Quick Answers to Common Questions

What is a six-sided shape called?
A six-sided shape is called a hexagon. The name comes from the Greek words hex (six) and gonia* (angle).

Is a hexagon always symmetrical?
No. A regular hexagon is symmetrical, with six equal sides and angles. But irregular hexagons can have sides and angles of different sizes.

How many degrees are in a hexagon?
The sum of the interior angles of any hexagon is 720 degrees. In a regular hexagon, each angle is 120 degrees.

Can hexagons be concave?
Yes. A concave hexagon has at least one interior angle greater than 180 degrees, creating an indentation.

What’s the difference between a hexagon and a hexagram?
A hexagon is a six-sided polygon. A hexagram is a six-pointed star, like the Star of David.

Where do you see hexagons in everyday life?
Hexagons appear

Hexagons appear in everyday life more often than you might notice. In practice, many modern pencils feature hexagonal barrels; the six flat sides prevent the pencil from rolling off a desk and give a comfortable grip for extended writing or drawing. In the kitchen, honey‑drizzled granola bars and certain chocolate bars are molded into hexagonal shapes to maximize surface area for flavor coating while minimizing excess packaging. The classic soccer ball, for instance, is stitched together from a pattern of black pentagons and white hexagons that creates a near‑spherical surface while keeping the seams strong and uniform. Even the humble board game “Settlers of Catan” relies on hexagonal tiles to represent varied terrain, ensuring each piece borders exactly six neighbors and fostering balanced gameplay.

Beyond recreation and consumer goods, hexagons influence technology and science. The graphene lattice — a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb — exhibits extraordinary electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, making it a cornerstone of nanotechnology research. Photonic crystals engineered with hexagonal hole patterns can manipulate light with precision, enabling advances in sensors and lasers. Architects sometimes employ hexagonal modules in facade panels or roofing systems because the shape distributes loads evenly and allows for rapid, prefabricated assembly.

Boiling it down, the hexagon’s blend of geometric efficiency, structural integrity, and aesthetic appeal makes it a versatile player across disciplines. On the flip side, whether you’re tightening a bolt, admiring a snowflake, designing a tiled floor, or exploring cutting‑edge materials, the six‑sided shape offers a timeless solution rooted in both nature’s optimization and human ingenuity. Embracing the hexagon means tapping into a pattern that has proven its worth from ancient Greek compass constructions to the forefront of modern science.