PanelOne boxed picture: a single moment of the story.
GutterThe space between panels. Time or place changes as the reader crosses it.
Motion linesLines drawn behind something to show that it is moving.
Panel border (frame)The line that boxes a panel in.
Where the words go 4
Speech balloonHolds what a character says out loud.
CaptionA box of words, usually the narrator’s, that sets the scene.
Thought balloonHolds what a character is thinking, not saying.
Sound effectA word drawn in the picture to mimic a sound.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 in two independent places. (1) Wikipedia, Glossary of comics terminology, with Speech balloon and Motion lines, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_comics_terminology (a panel is one drawing on a page; the gutter is the space between panels; a word or speech balloon contains the characters’ dialogue; a thought balloon usually looks like a cloud, with bubbles for a pointer; in a caption the words are in a box, usually to give voice to a narrator; sound effects are words without bubbles that mimic sounds; motion lines appear behind a moving object). (2) ReadWriteThink (NCTE), Graphic Novel/Comics Terms and Concepts, https://www.readwritethink.org/sites/default/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1102/terms.pdf (panel; frame, the lines and borders round the panels; gutter, the space between two framed panels; captions, boxes containing scene-setting and description; speech balloons enclose dialogue; a thought is enclosed by a balloon with dots or bubbles rising to it). (3) Scholastic, A Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens (2018), https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/18-19/Graphic-Novel-Discussion-Guide-2018.pdf (what graphic novels are made of: panels, word balloons, sound effects, motion lines; the spaces in between the panels are the gutters; panel borders). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original page; the character, the story and the words are invented, and nothing is traced or copied. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a graphic novel page are its panels, the gutters between them and the places words go: captions, speech balloons, thought balloons and sound effects. Comic books and comic strips use the same parts.
Read the full guide
How the page is laid out
Each boxed picture is a panel, and the line around it is its border, or frame. The blank strip between two panels is the gutter. This page has five panels in three rows.
Four places for words
A caption is a box of narration. A speech balloon holds what a character says, and its point aims at the speaker. A thought balloon is a cloud joined to the thinker by small bubbles. A sound effect is a word drawn right into the picture.
Motion lines are drawing, not words: the strokes behind the kite show that it is moving.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a graphic novel page called?
Panels, gutters and panel borders make the layout. Captions, speech balloons, thought balloons and sound effects carry the words. Motion lines show movement.
What is the space between panels called?
The gutter. Between one panel and the next, time passes or the scene changes, and the reader joins the two pictures into one event.
What is the difference between a speech balloon and a thought balloon?
A speech balloon has a smooth outline and a point aimed at the speaker. A thought balloon is shaped like a cloud, with small bubbles leading to the character who is thinking.
What is a caption in a comic?
A box of words set apart from the picture, usually the narrator’s voice. It often tells when or where the panel takes place.