Is a house an apartment?

No. The word 'house' refers to a self-contained building with its own front door onto the street. The word 'apartment' refers to a self-contained area within a shared building.

cottage

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈkɒt.ɪdʒ/ us  /ˈkɑː.t̬ɪdʒ/

B1

a small house, usually in the countryside:

country cottage They live in an idyllic country cottage, with roses around the door.

thatched cottage He moved from London to live in a thatched cottage in the Cotswolds.

beach cottage We rented a little beach cottage on the North Carolina coast.

mansion

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈmæn.ʃən/ us  /ˈmæn.ʃən/ 

C1

a very large, expensive house:

The street is lined with enormous mansions where the rich and famous live.

chalet

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈʃæl.eɪ/ us  /ˈʃæl.eɪ/

a small wooden house found in mountain areas, especially in Switzerland, or a house built in a similar style, especially one used by people on holiday

terrace noun (HOUSE)

[ C ] UK

(US row)

a row of often small houses joined together along their side walls

farmhouse

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈfɑːm.haʊs/ us  /ˈfɑːrm.haʊs/

the main house on a farm where the farmer lives

semi-detached

adjective UK

uk  /ˌsem.i.dɪˈtætʃt/ us  /ˌsem.i.dɪˈtætʃt/ 

C1

A house that is semi-detached is one that is joined to another similar house on only one side:

They live in a semi-detached house.

flat

noun

uk  /flæt/ us  /flæt/

flat noun (HOME)

A1 [ C ] UK

(US apartment)

a set of rooms for living in that are part of a larger building and are usually all on one floor:

a furnished/unfurnished flat

block of flats She lives on the top floor of a block of flats.

They have a house in the country and a flat in Manchester.

mobile home

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˌməʊ.baɪl ˈhəʊm/ us  /ˌmoʊ.bəl ˈhoʊm/

a type of building that people live in, usually staying in one place, but able to be moved using a vehicle or sometimes its own engine

bungalow

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈbʌŋ.ɡəl.əʊ/ us  /ˈbʌŋ.ɡəl.oʊ/

a house that usually has only one storey (= level), sometimes with a smaller upper storey set in the roof and windows that come out from the roof:

There were small, white bungalows dotted over the hillside.

townhouse

noun [ C ] US

uk  /ˈtaʊn.haʊs/ us  /ˈtaʊn.haʊs/

a house that is joined to another house

duplex

noun [ C ]

us  /ˈdu·pleks/

a house having two separate apartments, each with its own entrance

penthouse

noun [ C ]

uk  /ˈpent.haʊs/ us  /ˈpent.haʊs/

an expensive apartment or set of rooms at the top of a hotel or tall building:

The singer is staying in a penthouse suite (= set of rooms) in the Hilton.

yurt

noun [ C ]

uk  /jɜːt/ us  /jɝːt/

a type of round tent with a wooden frame, used traditionally as a home by some Central Asian people, and now sometimes used for camping in Western countries

An Earthship is a kind of passive solar home—or community of homes—typically made of natural and recycled materials such as old tires and recycled cans. Such homes make use of non-polluting renewable energy sources and smart design to meet most if not all heating, cooling and power needs.