How to Play and learn the codes you actually mix up

State abbreviations look simple until the similar ones show up together. Most people do fine with CA, TX, and FL. The misses usually come from A states, M states, New states, and north/south pairs.

Use the quiz for recall, then use the table to check only the codes you missed. You do not need to reread all 50 every time.

State abbreviation test warmup

Before you start a full round, check the codes that usually cause the most hesitation. If these feel easy, the full test gets much smoother.

MO

Missouri

MO is Missouri. Capital: Jefferson City.

MN

Minnesota

MN is Minnesota. Capital: Saint Paul.

MS

Mississippi

MS is Mississippi. Capital: Jackson.

IA

Iowa

IA is Iowa. Capital: Des Moines.

RI

Rhode Island

RI is Rhode Island. Capital: Providence.

AZ

Arizona

AZ is Arizona. Capital: Phoenix.

Choose the right mode

Classic

State to code

Good for learning the official USPS abbreviation.

Reverse

Code to state

Better for forms, labels, and reading short state codes quickly.

Mixed

Both directions

Best final check because you cannot rely on one pattern.

All 50 U.S. state abbreviations

State Abbreviation Region Review
Alabama AL South Open state
Alaska AK West Open state
Arizona AZ West Open state
Arkansas AR South Open state
California CA West Open state
Colorado CO West Open state
Connecticut CT Northeast Open state
Delaware DE South Open state
Florida FL South Open state
Georgia GA South Open state
Hawaii HI West Open state
Idaho ID West Open state
Illinois IL Midwest Open state
Indiana IN Midwest Open state
Iowa IA Midwest Open state
Kansas KS Midwest Open state
Kentucky KY South Open state
Louisiana LA South Open state
Maine ME Northeast Open state
Maryland MD South Open state
Massachusetts MA Northeast Open state
Michigan MI Midwest Open state
Minnesota MN Midwest Open state
Mississippi MS South Open state
Missouri MO Midwest Open state
Montana MT West Open state
Nebraska NE Midwest Open state
Nevada NV West Open state
New Hampshire NH Northeast Open state
New Jersey NJ Northeast Open state
New Mexico NM West Open state
New York NY Northeast Open state
North Carolina NC South Open state
North Dakota ND Midwest Open state
Ohio OH Midwest Open state
Oklahoma OK South Open state
Oregon OR West Open state
Pennsylvania PA Northeast Open state
Rhode Island RI Northeast Open state
South Carolina SC South Open state
South Dakota SD Midwest Open state
Tennessee TN South Open state
Texas TX South Open state
Utah UT West Open state
Vermont VT Northeast Open state
Virginia VA South Open state
Washington WA West Open state
West Virginia WV South Open state
Wisconsin WI Midwest Open state
Wyoming WY West Open state

The tricky groups

A states

AL, AK, AZ, AR

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas are easy to mix up because they all start the same way.

M states

MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT

The M states are the classic abbreviation trap. Drill them as a group.

New states

NH, NJ, NM, NY

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York all need the second word.

Same first letter pairs

NC/ND, SC/SD, VA/VT

When two states share a first letter, the second letter usually carries the memory.

FAQ

What are state abbreviations?

They are the official two-letter postal codes used for U.S. states, such as CA for California and NY for New York.

What is the hardest group of state abbreviations?

The M states are usually hardest because there are eight of them: MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, and MT.

What state is MO?

MO is Missouri. It is one of the M-state codes that is easy to confuse with MS, MN, and MT.

What state is MN?

MN is Minnesota. The capital is Saint Paul.

What state is MS?

MS is Mississippi. The capital is Jackson.

What state is IA?

IA is Iowa. The capital is Des Moines.

Is AZ Arizona?

Yes. AZ is the postal abbreviation for Arizona.

Should I practice codes forward or backward?

Do both. State to code is good for writing addresses, while code to state is better for recognizing abbreviations quickly.