Every motor has magnetic poles, just like a permanent magnet. These poles are created by bundles of magnet wire wound together in the slots of the stationary part of the motor (the stator core).
Look inside an electric motor and you can count the number of poles or windings (see the photos that accompany this article). The number and alignment of these bundles of wires creates magnetic poles, and the number of poles in the motor determines the motor’s speed, stated in revolutions per minute (rpm).