Port Side vs Starboard Side: What’s the Difference?

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Port side vs starboard side is one of the first things any sailor learns, and one of the easiest to mix up under pressure. Both words describe a side of a vessel as seen from the stern, looking toward the bow, so they never change when you turn around. This guide gives the clear definition of each, the colour codes, a little history and some memory tricks that work.

What does “port side” mean?

Port side is the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are facing the front. Merriam-Webster defines port, in this sense, as the left side looking forward, and notes that it is also called larboard. The word probably comes from either a harbour or an opening in a ship’s side, and it was first recorded in this sense around 1544.

• Turn the wheel to port.
• The deckhand stood on the port side of the boat.

It works as a noun and as an adjective, so you can say the port side, to port, or a port light.

What does “starboard side” mean?

Starboard side is the right side of a ship or aircraft when you are facing the front. The word has nothing to do with stars. It comes from the Old English stēorbord, from stēor, meaning a steering oar, and bord, meaning a ship’s side.

• The lifeboat hangs on the starboard side.
• Hard to starboard! Turn the rudder to the right.

That origin makes sense of the term: early boats were steered with an oar over the right side, so that side became the steering side.

Starboard can also work as a verb. To starboard the helm means to turn the rudder to the right, which is why you may hear sailors call out “starboard” as an order.

Port side vs starboard side: what is the key difference?

Port is the left side and starboard is the right side, always as seen from the back of the vessel looking forward. The terms are fixed to the ship, not to the speaker, so they stay the same even if you turn around. If you stand at the bow facing the stern, your right hand is toward the port side.

That fixed meaning is exactly why sailors use them. “Left” and “right” depend on which way a person is facing, which can cause costly confusion on a moving vessel.

What colour lights mark port and starboard?

The port side carries a red light and the starboard side carries a green light. At night these colours show another vessel which way a ship is heading, because the order in which you see the red and green lights tells you whether it is approaching or moving away.

• Port: red light, left side.
• Starboard: green light, right side.

Colour is also a handy memory aid: red goes with port, and green goes with starboard. Together with the four-letter trick below, it gives you two independent checks.

Why is the left side called port and not larboard?

Larboard was the old word for the left side, but it was replaced by port because it sounded too much like starboard. Shouting one over the noise of wind and waves could send a ship the wrong way. Marine sources also note that port fit the practice of mooring the left side against the harbour wharf.

A popular explanation adds that early ships had their steering oar on the right, so the left side was the one tied up at the dock. Treat that as a handy story rather than settled history.

Do aircraft use port and starboard too?

Yes. Merriam-Webster defines both port and starboard for ships and aircraft, so a pilot or crew can say port wing or starboard engine. In everyday speech on planes, people more often say left and right, but the nautical terms are still used in formal and aviation contexts.

If you are not sure which side a person means, ask them to confirm whether they are facing the bow. The words only work when everyone shares the same reference point, which is the front of the vessel.

How can you remember which one to use?

Link the words to colours and letters, and you will remember them in seconds. The memory tricks below give three that work well.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Starboard is the left side of the ship. → Starboard is the right side of the ship.
• The green light is on the port side. → The red light is on the port side.
• The starbord engine failed. → The starboard engine failed.
• Larboard is the modern word for the left side. → Port is the modern word for the left side.
• If I turn around, port becomes my right side. → If I turn around, port is still the ship’s left side.

Memory tricks

• Four letters. Port and left both have four letters, so port is left and starboard is right.
• Red port wine. “There is some red port left in the bottle” links port, red and left.
• Green means starboard. Green, right and starboard all point to the same side of the vessel.

Frequently asked questions

Which side is port?

Port is the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are facing forward.

Which side is starboard?

Starboard is the right side of a ship or aircraft when you are facing forward.

What colour is the port light?

The port side light is red, and the starboard side light is green.

Why did sailors stop using larboard?

Larboard sounded too similar to starboard, which caused confusion, so port replaced it.

Does starboard have anything to do with stars?

No. It comes from Old English words for a steering oar and a ship’s side.

Conclusion

Port side vs starboard side is simple once you pair the words with their colours and directions. Port is left and red, while starboard is right and green, always as seen facing the bow. Practise the red port wine trick and you will never swap them again.

Share this with someone who mixes up port and starboard.