sofa

Sofa is famously interchangeable with the word couch. More on that in the next section.

A love seat is a kind of small sofa or large chair that seats about two people. A similar piece of furniture is sometimes called a chair-and-a-half. 

Less commonly, a small sofa can be called a two-seater or, more fancily, a tête-à-tête or a vis-à-vis. These last two terms are especially used to refer to S-shaped sofas that allow two people to sit facing each other.

An upholstered seat for two or more people can be called a settee.

The word chesterfield can specifically refer to a large, overstuffed sofa with a tall back and arms. In Canada, it’s simply used to refer to a large sofa.

A divan is a sofa that doesn’t have an arm or back. A type of sofa without arms (and sometimes without a back) that’s specifically for reclining can be called a chaise, chaise lounge, or simply lounge.

A davenport is another kind of large sofa, especially one that can be converted into a bed.

Other terms for sofas that can convert into beds are sofa bed, pull-out sofa, convertible sofa, convertible couch, and sleeper sofa. A daybed is one that can be used as a sofa or a bed at different times.

A futon has the same function, but it’s basically a big mattress that folds in half to be a couch.