A polygon has 12 sides. What is the polygon called?

A polygon has 12 sides. What is the polygon called?

• A. Decagon
• B. Tridecagon
• C. Dodecagon
• D. Hendecagon

Answer: (C)

Polygons are named by combining a numeric prefix with the suffix -gon, which signals a polygon. The prefix for twelve is dodeca-, from Greek, so a twelve-sided polygon is a dodecagon. Other counts use different prefixes (ten-by deca- for ten, eleven by hendec-, thirteen by trideca-, etc.), but for twelve sides the correct name is dodecagon.

Polygons are named by combining a numeric prefix with the suffix -gon, which signals a polygon. The prefix for twelve is dodeca-, from Greek, so a twelve-sided polygon is a dodecagon. Other counts use different prefixes (ten-by deca- for ten, eleven by hendec-, thirteen by trideca-, etc.), but for twelve sides the correct name is dodecagon.