Math Words That Start With S: Definitions, Examples & Visual Guide for Students

Last updated: 12/11/2025

The letter S is a powerhouse in mathematics. It covers everything from basic shapes like Squares to complex concepts like Statistics and movement calculations like Slope.

Instead of a messy list, we’ve organized the content by category—so you can quickly learn, visualize, and apply “S” math words.

The “Must-Know” S Math Words

Slope

Definition: Slope is the steepness or incline of a line.
Formula/Notation:

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Real-World Example: The slope determines how steep a wheelchair ramp must be for safety.

Surface Area

Definition: Surface area is the total area covering the outside of a 3D shape.
Formula/Notation (example for a rectangular prism):

Real-World Example: Calculating how much paint is needed to cover a box.

Scientific Notation

Definition: Scientific notation expresses very large or small numbers using powers of ten.
Example:

Real-World Example: Used by scientists to record extremely large values like atoms in a mole.

System of Equations

Definition: A system of equations is a set of two or more equations with the same variables.
Example (linear system):

Real-World Example: Solving for quantities of two products that together meet certain costs and totals.

Operations & Algebra S Math Words

Simplify

Example:

Square Root

Example:

Substitution

Example:
If x=3x = 3x=3, then

Mnemonic Device for Sine

Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse (SOH)
Memory Tip: “Silly Octopus Hops” = Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse

Math Words that Start with S Chart (with Pinyin& Chinese)

English Term	Chinese 中文	Pinyin	English Explanation (Concise)	Grade Level (US)
Slope	斜率	xié lǜ	The measure of how steep a line is on a graph.	7–9
Square	正方形	zhèng fāng xíng	A shape with four equal sides and four right angles.	3–5
Square Root	平方根	píng fāng gēn	A number that produces another number when multiplied by itself.	6–8
Surface Area	表面积	biǎo miàn jī	Total area of all faces of a 3D object.	6–10
System of Equations	方程组	fāng chéng zǔ	Two or more equations solved together to find shared solutions.	8–12
Scientific Notation	科学记数法	kē xué jì shù fǎ	A way to write very large or small numbers using powers of ten.	7–10
Scalene Triangle	不等边三角形	bù děng biān sān jiǎo xíng	A triangle with no equal sides.	4–6
Sector	扇形	shàn xíng	A “slice” of a circle formed by two radii and an arc.	6–8
Segment (Line Segment)	线段	xiàn duàn	Part of a line with two endpoints.	3–5
Similar Figures	相似图形	xiāng sì tú xíng	Figures with the same shape but different sizes.	7–9
Sphere	球体	qiú tǐ	A perfectly round 3D object with all points equidistant from its center.	3–6
Symmetry	对称	duì chèn	When a figure can be folded into matching halves.	3–5
Sample	样本	yàng běn	A smaller group selected from a population for study.	6–8
Scatter Plot	散点图	sàn diǎn tú	A graph that shows the relationship between two variables.	7–9
Standard Deviation	标准差	biāo zhǔn chā	A measure of how spread out data values are.	9–12
Stem-and-Leaf Plot	茎叶图	jìng yè tú	A way to organize data by place value.	5–7
Simplify	化简	huà jiǎn	To reduce an expression to its basic form.	6–8
Solution	解/答案	jiě / dá àn	A value that makes an equation or inequality true.	3–12
Substitution	代入法	dài rù fǎ	Replacing a variable with a number or expression.	7–9
Sum	和	hé	The result of adding numbers.	1–3
Sine	正弦	zhèng xián	A trigonometric ratio: opposite side divided by hypotenuse.	9–12
Supplementary Angles	互补角	hù bǔ jiǎo	Two angles whose measures add up to 180 degrees.	6–8
Sequence	数列	shù liè	An ordered list of numbers that follow a rule.	7–9
Series	级数	jí shù	The sum of the terms in a sequence.	9–12
Set	集合	jí hé	A group of distinct objects or numbers.	6–9

Conclusion

“S” in math is packed with critical concepts—from Slope to Statistics, and from Shapes to Simplifying expressions. Practicing these terms builds both confidence and problem-solving skills.

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Math Vocabulary A–Z Word Lists

Letter	Article Link
A	Math Words That Start With A
B	Math Words That Start With B
C	Math Words That Start With C
D	Math Words That Start With D
E	Math Words That Start With E
F	Math Words That Start With F
G	Math Words That Start With G
H	Math Words That Start With H
I	Math Words That Start With I
J	Math Words That Start With J
K	Math Words That Start With K
L	Math Words That Start With L
M	Math Words That Start With M
N	Math Words That Start With N
O	Math Words That Start With O
P	Math Words That Start With P
Q	Math Words That Start With Q
R	Math Words That Start With R
S	Math Words That Start With S (This Article)
T	Math Words That Start With T
U	Math Words That Start With U
V	Math Words That Start With V
W	Math Words That Start With W
X	Math Words That Start With X
Y	Math Words That Start With Y
Z	Math Words That Start With Z

Discovering the maths whiz in every child,
that’s what we do.

Suitable for students worldwide, from grades 1 to 12.

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Nathan | WuKong Math Teacher

Graduated from the University of New South Wales. He has over 8 years of experience teaching elementary and high school mathematics and science. As a rigorous and steady mathematics teacher, Nathan has always been well received by students 1-12 grades.