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.

  1. Up
    10
    Down
    ::

    Salt and Pepper

  2. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Needle and Thread[3]

  3. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Cookies and Milk

  4. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Me and You

  5. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Jelly

  6. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Bread and Butter

  7. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Stars and Stripes[4]

  8. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Sweet and Sour[4]

  9. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Hugs and Kisses[3]

  10. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Fish and Chips[5]

  11. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Cloak and Dagger[6]

  12. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Bow and Arrow[5]

  13. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Mouse

  14. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    King and Queen

  15. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Black and White[5]

  16. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    War and Peace[6]

  17. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Give and Take

  18. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Dog

  19. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Nuts and Bolts[3]

  20. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[3]

  21. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Spaghetti and Meatballs[5]

  22. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Lock and Key

  23. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Pros and Cons[6]

  24. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Left and Right

  25. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Nickel and Dime[3]

  26. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Macaroni and Cheese[5]

  27. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Surf and Turf[5]

  28. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Pots and Pans[6]

  29. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Bed and Breakfast[4]

  30. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Hot and Spicy

  31. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Coat and Tie

  32. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Ketchup and Mustard[3]

  33. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Horse and Carriage[3]

  34. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Love and Marriage[3]

  35. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Brother and Sister

  36. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Smoke and Mirrors[4]

  37. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Mom and Dad

  38. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Green Eggs and Ham

  39. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Pins and Needles[3]

  40. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Cream and Sugar

  41. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Bacon and Eggs

  42. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Peaches and Cream

  43. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Thunder and Lightning

  44. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Flint and Steel

  45. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Fork and Knife[5]

  46. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Hammer and Nails[5]

  47. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Prince and Princess

  48. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Pencil and Paper

  49. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Chocolate

  50. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Chicken and Rice

  51. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Bricks and Mortar[6]

  52. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Apples and Oranges

  53. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Crime and Punishment[6]

  54. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Meat and Potatoes[4]

  55. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Shoes and Socks

  56. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Fun and Games

  57. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Cup and Saucer

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. "Things that go Together Quiz," Golden Carers[][][][][][][][][]
  4. "Famous and Common Duos Vocabulary Word List," Enchanted Learning[][][][][]
  5. "Matching Game," National Federation of the Blind[][][][][][][][]
  6. "Word Pairs - list of nonreversible word pairs," sightwordsgame[][][][][][]