
Main Difference
The main difference between Nave and Chancel is that the Nave is a main body of a church and Chancel is a space around the altar of a traditional Christian church
Nave
The nave is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type building, the strict definition of the term “nave” is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy.
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Nave (noun)
The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances.
Nave (noun)
A hub of a wheel.
Nave (noun)
The navel.
Chancel (noun)
The space around the altar in a church, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen.
Nave (noun)
the central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation. In traditional Western churches it is rectangular, separated from the chancel by a step or rail, and from adjacent aisles by pillars.
Nave (noun)
the hub of a wheel.