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THE WORDWHEEL GUIDE

Engineering vocabulary game

Engineering vocabulary helps describe what a structure carries, how a mechanism moves, and how energy is transferred. This pack introduces a small set of mechanical and electrical terms, with examples that connect workshop objects to concepts used in textbooks.

Updated September 25, 2026

Play Engineering →Read the 43-term glossary

For beginning engineering students, makers and technically curious players.

What to notice as you learn

Load describes an applied demand on a structure. Stress describes force distributed over area inside a material; strain describes relative deformation. They are related concepts, not interchangeable names.

Picture the object in the example. Describe where a force acts, which part moves, or what the electrical quantity measures. Then recall the term from its meaning in the review cards.

How this topic game works

There are 15 levels in this starter pack. Each accepts only words from the Engineering glossary below. Use the required highlighted letter and each tile at most once. Find 3–5 matching terms on the same wheel to complete each level, with no timer. Keep collecting words until the count reaches the goal, then choose Next level. Each level offers extra valid answers beyond the goal. Any glossary term that fits the board counts, so a clue is a suggestion rather than a required answer.

Clues offer definitions and optional letter reveals. Three reveals are shared across a board and saved if you leave. Read the full meaning after a discovery for its example sentence and reference. Levels repeat after the last one. Review vocabulary is optional: use it to recall discovered words from their meanings, and keep a personal list of terms to practise again.

Engineering glossary: 43 terms to practise

These are the pack’s complete vocabulary list. The notes and examples below are original introductory explanations by Wordwheel; references provide fuller context. A word may have other meanings outside this subject.

force
A push or pull that can change an object’s motion or shape.
Example: A cable exerts a pulling force on the beam.
OpenStax · University Physics
load
A force or other demand applied to a structure or component.
Example: The bridge carries the load of passing traffic.
OpenStax · University Physics
stress
Internal force per unit area in a material.
Example: The same force creates greater stress over a smaller area.
OpenStax · University Physics
strain
Deformation expressed relative to an original dimension.
Example: Stretching the rod changes its length and produces strain.
OpenStax · University Physics
torque
The turning effect of a force about an axis.
Example: A longer wrench can produce more torque with the same force.
OpenStax · University Physics
gear
A toothed part that transmits motion by meshing with another part.
Example: Two gears transfer rotation between shafts.
OpenStax · University Physics
beam
A structural member that carries loads, often by resisting bending.
Example: A beam supports the floor above it.
OpenStax · University Physics
valve
A device that controls the passage of a fluid.
Example: The valve regulates water flow through the pipe.
OpenStax · University Physics
circuit
An arrangement of connected electrical components that can provide a path for current.
Example: Closing the switch completes the circuit.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
voltage
Electric potential difference between two points.
Example: The meter measures voltage across the resistor.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
power
The rate at which energy is transferred or work is done.
Example: The motor’s power describes how quickly it can do work.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
unit
A defined reference quantity used to express measurements.
Example: The newton is a unit of force.
OpenStax · University Physics
mass
A measure of inertia, expressed in kilograms in SI.
Example: The added mass changes the system’s acceleration.
OpenStax · University Physics
area
The extent of a surface, measured in square units.
Example: The calculation uses the cross-sectional area of the rod.
OpenStax · University Physics
rate
A change in a quantity per unit of another, commonly time.
Example: The pump’s flow rate is measured in litres per second.
OpenStax · University Physics
ratio
One quantity divided by another for comparison.
Example: The gear ratio relates the input and output speeds.
OpenStax · University Physics
tension
A pulling force transmitted along a stretched cable or similar member.
Example: The suspended load creates tension in the cable.
OpenStax · University Physics
steel
An iron-based alloy containing carbon and often other elements.
Example: The frame uses steel members.
OpenStax · University Physics
iron
A metallic element used in many structural alloys.
Example: Steel contains mostly iron.
OpenStax · University Physics
rod
A long, relatively slender solid member.
Example: The rod carries an axial load.
OpenStax · University Physics
bar
A solid member commonly described by its cross section and length.
Example: The metal bar bends under load.
OpenStax · University Physics
arm
A projecting member or the perpendicular distance used when calculating a moment.
Example: Increasing the lever arm increases torque for the same force.
OpenStax · University Physics
axis
A line about which rotation occurs or along which a coordinate is measured.
Example: The shaft turns about its axis.
OpenStax · University Physics
axle
A shaft supporting a rotating wheel or similar component.
Example: The axle supports the wheel.
OpenStax · University Physics
lever
A rigid member that turns about a pivot to transmit force.
Example: The lever lifts a load about its fulcrum.
OpenStax · University Physics
bolt
A threaded fastener often used with a nut.
Example: A bolt secures the bracket.
OpenStax · University Physics
nut
A fastener with an internal thread that engages a bolt or threaded rod.
Example: The nut tightens against the washer.
OpenStax · University Physics
cut
To separate material or remove part of it with a tool.
Example: The saw makes a cut in the stock.
OpenStax · University Physics
turn
A complete revolution or an act of rotation.
Example: The shaft makes one turn.
OpenStax · University Physics
wire
A slender length of metal, often used as an electrical conductor.
Example: The wire connects the switch to the lamp.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
current
The rate at which electric charge flows.
Example: The ammeter measures current through the circuit.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
heat
Energy transferred because of a temperature difference.
Example: Heat flows from the hotter component to the cooler one.
OpenStax · University Physics
work
Energy transferred by a force acting through a displacement.
Example: Lifting the load requires mechanical work.
OpenStax · University Physics
flow
Movement of a fluid through a region or passage.
Example: The pipe carries a steady flow of water.
OpenStax · University Physics
watt
The SI unit of power, equal to one joule per second.
Example: The motor’s output power is measured in watts.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
volt
The SI unit of electric potential difference.
Example: The meter displays a reading in volts.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
ohm
The SI unit of electrical resistance.
Example: The resistor’s value is given in ohms.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
motor
A machine that converts supplied energy into mechanical motion.
Example: The electric motor turns the shaft.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
rotor
The rotating part of a machine.
Example: The rotor spins inside the motor.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
gain
The ratio of output signal magnitude to input signal magnitude.
Example: The amplifier has a voltage gain of ten.
OpenStax · Electric circuits
rise
The vertical change between two points.
Example: The ramp’s rise is measured from its lower end.
OpenStax · University Physics
truss
A framework of connected members, often arranged in triangles.
Example: The roof is supported by a truss.
OpenStax · University Physics
shear
Loading that tends to make adjacent parts of a material slide past one another.
Example: The pin carries a shear force.
OpenStax · University Physics

References and further reading

These organizations are reference sources, not sponsors or endorsers of the game. Follow their material to explore the subject beyond this short pack.

Continue your vocabulary practice

Topic discoveries and review choices are saved only in this browser. Practice scores stay separate from public rankings. You can return to the original general-vocabulary game at any time.