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
    40
    Down
    ::

    Cookies and Milk

  2. Up
    40
    Down
    ::

    Salt and Pepper

  3. Up
    12
    Down
    ::

    Thunder and Lightning

  4. Up
    11
    Down
    ::

    Hugs and Kisses[3]

  5. Up
    27
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Jelly

  6. Up
    9
    Down
    ::

    Pros and Cons[4]

  7. Up
    17
    Down
    ::

    Me and You

  8. Up
    8
    Down
    ::

    Fish and Chips[5]

  9. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Nuts and Bolts[3]

  10. Up
    9
    Down
    ::

    Needle and Thread[3]

  11. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Bow and Arrow[5]

  12. Up
    7
    Down
    ::

    Sweet and Sour[6]

  13. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Bread and Butter

  14. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Hammer and Nails[5]

  15. Up
    5
    Down
    ::

    Green Eggs and Ham

  16. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Dog

  17. Up
    4
    Down
    ::

    Shoes and Socks

  18. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Cat and Mouse

  19. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Black and White[5]

  20. Up
    3
    Down
    ::

    Spaghetti and Meatballs[5]

  21. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Pencil and Paper

  22. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Prince and Princess

  23. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Bacon and Eggs

  24. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Macaroni and Cheese[5]

  25. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Fork and Knife[5]

  26. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Pots and Pans[4]

  27. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Ketchup and Mustard[3]

  28. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Flint and Steel

  29. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    Surf and Turf[5]

  30. Up
    2
    Down
    ::

    King and Queen

  31. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Left and Right

  32. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Lock and Key

  33. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Peaches and Cream

  34. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Crime and Punishment[4]

  35. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    War and Peace[4]

  36. Up
    1
    Down
    ::

    Give and Take

  37. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Cloak and Dagger[4]

  38. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Bed and Breakfast[6]

  39. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Hot and Spicy

  40. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Stars and Stripes[6]

  41. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Smoke and Mirrors[6]

  42. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Peanut Butter and Chocolate

  43. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Chicken and Rice

  44. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Apples and Oranges

  45. Up
    0
    Down
    ::

    Mashed Potatoes and Gravy[3]

  46. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Horse and Carriage[3]

  47. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Love and Marriage[3]

  48. Up
    -2
    Down
    ::

    Brother and Sister

  49. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Meat and Potatoes[6]

  50. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Nickel and Dime[3]

  51. Up
    -3
    Down
    ::

    Fun and Games

  52. Up
    -1
    Down
    ::

    Pins and Needles[3]

  53. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Cup and Saucer

  54. Up
    -5
    Down
    ::

    Cream and Sugar

  55. Up
    -4
    Down
    ::

    Coat and Tie

  56. Up
    -10
    Down
    ::

    Bricks and Mortar[4]

  57. Up
    -16
    Down
    ::

    Mom and Dad

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. "Word Pairs - list of nonreversible word pairs," sightwordsgame[][][][][][]
  5. "Matching Game," National Federation of the Blind[][][][][][][][]
  6. "Famous and Common Duos Vocabulary Word List," Enchanted Learning[][][][][]

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