KnobTurning it turns the spindle and draws back the latch bolt.
RoseFixes the knob or lever to the door and covers the hole.
SpindleLinks the handles and turns the latch.
Latch bolt (springbolt)Springs into the strike plate as the door shuts.
Faceplate (forend)Fixes the latch to the door edge.
Strike plateGuides the latch bolt into the jamb and protects it.
From the front 2
Lever handleAn alternative to a knob; pressing it turns the spindle.
BackplateA long plate on the door that carries the handle.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Master Locksmiths Association, Dictionary of locksmith terms, https://www.locksmiths.co.uk/locksmith-terminology-parts-of-locks/ : lever handle, usually on a rose or plate, as an alternative to a knob; rose, the small plate to which the lever handle or knob is affixed; backplate; spindle, usually of square section, passing through the follower and fitted to the knobs or levers to operate the springbolt; springbolt, sometimes called the latchbolt, bevelled so it may be pushed back and return; forend, through which the bolt protrudes and by which the latch is fixed to the door; striking plate, fixed to the frame or jamb with holes into which the bolt shoots. (2) Wikipedia, Door handle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_handle and Doorknob, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doorknob : knob, lever, rose, escutcheon, spindle, latch bolt, faceplate, backplate, set screws. The strike plate is also in two door makers' glossaries, read the same day for the parts-of-a-door page. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Licence: own work
How it works
What are the parts of a door handle called? A knob or lever on each side, each fixed to the door by a rose or a backplate, joined by a spindle that pulls back the latch bolt at the door's edge.
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How a door handle opens the door
Turn the knob or press the lever and the spindle turns with it. Inside the latch, that pulls the latch bolt back through the faceplate, out of the strike plate on the frame, and the door opens.
Rose or backplate
A rose is a small round plate under each knob or lever. A backplate is a long plate that carries the handle, and often a keyhole below it.
The latch bolt's slanted face points the way the door closes, so it slides into the strike plate without turning the handle.
Questions and answers
What is the metal bar between two door handles called?
The spindle. It runs through the door, usually square in section, and turns the latch when either handle is turned.
What is the part of the door latch that sticks out?
The latch bolt, also called the springbolt. Its slanted edge lets it spring back as the door closes, then pop into the strike plate.
What is the round plate behind a door knob?
The rose. It fixes the knob to the door and covers the hole the spindle and latch pass through.