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
    57
    Down
    ::

    Salt and Pepper

  2. Up
    56
    Down
    ::

    Cookies and Milk

  3. Up
    39
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Jelly

  4. Up
    15
    Down
    ::

    Bow and Arrow[3]

  5. Up
    26
    Down
    ::

    Me and You

  6. Up
    15
    Down
    ::

    Thunder and Lightning

  7. Up
    12
    Down
    ::

    Sweet and Sour[4]

  8. Up
    8
    Down
    ::

    Nuts and Bolts[5]

  9. Up
    13
    Down
    ::

    Hugs and Kisses[5]

  10. Up
    10
    Down
    ::

    Bread and Butter

  11. Up
    14
    Down
    ::

    Needle and Thread[5]

  12. Up
    12
    Down
    ::

    Pros and Cons[6]

  13. Up
    10
    Down
    ::

    Spaghetti and Meatballs[3]

  14. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Mouse

  15. Up
    8
    Down
    ::

    Green Eggs and Ham

  16. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Macaroni and Cheese[3]

  17. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Fish and Chips[3]

  18. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Hammer and Nails[3]

  19. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Prince and Princess

  20. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Shoes and Socks

  21. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Flint and Steel

  22. Up
    6
    Down
    ::

    Hot and Spicy

  23. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Peaches and Cream

  24. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Dog

  25. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Ketchup and Mustard[5]

  26. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Lock and Key

  27. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Black and White[3]

  28. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Give and Take

  29. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    War and Peace[6]

  30. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[5]

  31. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Cloak and Dagger[6]

  32. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    King and Queen

  33. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Left and Right

  34. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Bacon and Eggs

  35. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Pots and Pans[6]

  36. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Crime and Punishment[6]

  37. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Pencil and Paper

  38. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Bed and Breakfast[4]

  39. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Surf and Turf[3]

  40. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Chicken and Rice

  41. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Horse and Carriage[5]

  42. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Love and Marriage[5]

  43. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Fork and Knife[3]

  44. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Stars and Stripes[4]

  45. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Apples and Oranges

  46. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Meat and Potatoes[4]

  47. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Smoke and Mirrors[4]

  48. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Nickel and Dime[5]

  49. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Chocolate

  50. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Brother and Sister

  51. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Fun and Games

  52. Up
    -12
    Down
    ::

    Mom and Dad

  53. Up
    -5
    Down
    ::

    Cream and Sugar

  54. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Pins and Needles[5]

  55. Up
    -7
    Down
    ::

    Cup and Saucer

  56. Up
    -17
    Down
    ::

    Bricks and Mortar[6]

  57. Up
    -10
    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. "Matching Game," National Federation of the Blind[][][][][][][][]
  4. "Famous and Common Duos Vocabulary Word List," Enchanted Learning[][][][][]
  5. "Things that go Together Quiz," Golden Carers[][][][][][][][][]
  6. "Word Pairs - list of nonreversible word pairs," sightwordsgame[][][][][][]

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