Abstract
Seismic anisotropy is an unfamiliar concept to many geophysicists and the use of misleading and ambiguous terminology has made it more difficult to understand. I suggest here a consistent terminology in which simple expressions have specific meanings similar to their colloquial meanings. It is hoped that use of such language will help to make the increasing number of papers reporting seismic anisotropy more readily comprehensible to the non‐specialist. This not a manual of anisotropy, and it is not intended for theoreticians. It is a list of terms which may make anisotropy a little easier to understand for those more familiar with wave propagation in isotropic solids.