What’s The Difference Between Ponds, Streams, Canals, Rivers, Swamps, Lagoons, Lakes, Seas, Glaciers & Oceans?

There are so many different types of water bodies discussed everyday that it can get rather confusing on what the exact subtle differences are between them. This is in no way a comprehensive list of all types but I’ve tried to cover the most frequently used ones. It’s also important to note that there’s not necessarily a certain size a specific water body should be.

Ponds

• Typically a ‘lite version’ of lakes
• A small body of water

Streams

• Typically a ‘lite version’ of rivers
• Small, narrow body of water with a slight current

Canals

• Man-made waterway connecting two bodies of water

Rivers

• Large flowing freshwater bodies that typically end in a sea or ocean

e.g. Nile, Congo, Mississippi, Yangtze

Swamps

• A wetland area that has a permanent large body of water

Lagoons

• Shallow saltwater that is separated from the sea/ocean by coral, sand or rocks

Lakes

• Body of fresh/salt water enclosed by land
• Typically quite deep and significantly larger than ponds

Glaciers

• ‘Frozen rivers’
• Cover 10% of planet’s land area

Seas

• Smaller than oceans and are located where oceans meet the land
• Typically partly enclosed by land

e.g. Mediterranean, Caribbean, South China

Oceans

• Largest type of water body and represents an enormous stretch of open water

e.g. Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic