Top 57 Pairs of Things That Go Together

Salt and pepper shakers, a pair of things that go together

There are some things you can’t hear or think of without something else also coming to mind. When many of us hear “peanut butter,” we immediately think “jelly!”

Some pairs even date back hundreds of years. For example, people have been eating mashed potatoes with gravy since the 18th century.[1]

Learning to pair things together is also an important part of our earliest development. A child figuring out how to pair objects is the first step to associating letters with one another and eventually learning to read.[2]

If you’re on the hunt for a classic duo, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we have the list of 57 pairs of things that go together.

You’ll also find a few fun activities beneath the list to help you come up with more pairs.

Pairs of Things That Go Together

  1. Up
    52
    Down
    ::

    Cookies and Milk

  2. Up
    48
    Down
    ::

    Salt and Pepper

  3. Up
    36
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Jelly

  4. Up
    13
    Down
    ::

    Pros and Cons[3]

  5. Up
    13
    Down
    ::

    Bow and Arrow[4]

  6. Up
    13
    Down
    ::

    Hugs and Kisses[5]

  7. Up
    24
    Down
    ::

    Me and You

  8. Up
    10
    Down
    ::

    Bread and Butter

  9. Up
    11
    Down
    ::

    Sweet and Sour[6]

  10. Up
    12
    Down
    ::

    Thunder and Lightning

  11. Up
    13
    Down
    ::

    Needle and Thread[5]

  12. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Nuts and Bolts[5]

  13. Up
    8
    Down
    ::

    Fish and Chips[4]

  14. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Mouse

  15. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Spaghetti and Meatballs[4]

  16. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Green Eggs and Ham

  17. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Shoes and Socks

  18. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Macaroni and Cheese[4]

  19. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Dog

  20. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Ketchup and Mustard[5]

  21. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Hammer and Nails[4]

  22. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Prince and Princess

  23. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Hot and Spicy

  24. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Flint and Steel

  25. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Give and Take

  26. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Peaches and Cream

  27. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    War and Peace[3]

  28. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Black and White[4]

  29. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    King and Queen

  30. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Pots and Pans[3]

  31. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[5]

  32. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Lock and Key

  33. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Left and Right

  34. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Pencil and Paper

  35. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Cloak and Dagger[3]

  36. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Crime and Punishment[3]

  37. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Bacon and Eggs

  38. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Bed and Breakfast[6]

  39. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Apples and Oranges

  40. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Love and Marriage[5]

  41. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Surf and Turf[4]

  42. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Chicken and Rice

  43. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Fork and Knife[4]

  44. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Fun and Games

  45. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Brother and Sister

  46. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Nickel and Dime[5]

  47. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Horse and Carriage[5]

  48. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Meat and Potatoes[6]

  49. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Smoke and Mirrors[6]

  50. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Stars and Stripes[6]

  51. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Chocolate

  52. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Cream and Sugar

  53. Up
    -5
    Down
    ::

    Cup and Saucer

  54. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Pins and Needles[5]

  55. Up
    -14
    Down
    ::

    Mom and Dad

  56. Up
    -13
    Down
    ::

    Bricks and Mortar[3]

  57. Up
    -6
    Down
    ::

    Coat and Tie

Helpful Activities for Finding Common Pairs

We’ve listed some of the most well-known pairs that go together, but plenty of other things come in twos as well.

Complete these activities to find your own expanded list of pairs!

  • Random Pairs: Grab a sheet of paper and have someone call out random, everyday things, such as “pen,” “fork,” “book,” and “bottle.” Write down each word the person says, then the first thing that comes to mind when you think of that word. You’re bound to come across at least a couple of great ideas for pairs!
  • Favorite Pairs: Make a list of your favorite things in the world. These might be your favorite possessions, gear related to your hobbies, or items you collect. Then, figure out what goes best with each one. This may prompt a few useful ideas for pairs. For example, if you collect cute mugs, you might come up with “mugs and bowls.”
  • Matching/Themed Pairs: Another idea is to think of things that are the same color, items that share a common theme, or rhyming words. Among some fun, silly answers, you’ll also find great pairs, such as “surf and turf” (which rhyme) or “sapphires and rubies” (which are both gemstones).
  1. https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/the-history-behind-10-classic-food-pairings[]
  2. https://toysoldier.fun/blogs/just-sharing/benefits-of-playing-matching-games-activities[]
  3. "Word Pairs - list of nonreversible word pairs," sightwordsgame[][][][][][]
  4. "Matching Game," National Federation of the Blind[][][][][][][][]
  5. "Things that go Together Quiz," Golden Carers[][][][][][][][][]
  6. "Famous and Common Duos Vocabulary Word List," Enchanted Learning[][][][][]

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