U.S. State Abbreviations Quiz – All 50 Two-Letter Postal Codes

Can you match all 50 U.S. state abbreviations? This free quiz tests both directions - abbreviation to state and state to abbreviation - with randomized questions and instant feedback.

Challenge mode

U.S. State Abbreviations Quiz

Master all 50 U.S. state abbreviations with a two-way quiz that trains both state-to-code and code-to-state recall.

Classic Practice Timed
Practice: 10 questions, no timer, steady points.
This round
Practice: 10 questions, no timer, steady points.
Questions
50
Difficulty
Easy
Randomized rounds Instant answer reveal Replay for a cleaner streak
Created by USA Symbol Team · Updated June 18, 2026 · Verified

The Eight M-States — The Hardest Group

Eight states start with M, and each gets a different two-letter code. These are the most commonly confused abbreviations in the quiz:

  • MA — Massachusetts
  • MD — Maryland
  • ME — Maine
  • MI — Michigan
  • MN — Minnesota
  • MO — Missouri
  • MS — Mississippi
  • MT — Montana

The Eight N-States — Almost as Tricky

Eight states also start with N, each with a distinct abbreviation:

  • NC — North Carolina
  • ND — North Dakota
  • NE — Nebraska
  • NH — New Hampshire
  • NJ — New Jersey
  • NM — New Mexico
  • NV — Nevada
  • NY — New York

The Four I-States — One Letter Apart

Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa all start with I, and each gets a different second letter. These are among the most searched abbreviations on the site:

  • ID — Idaho (I + D from IDaho)
  • IL — Illinois (I + L from ILlinois)
  • IN — Indiana (I + N from INdiana)
  • IA — Iowa (I + A from IAowa)

The Four W-States — All Start With W

Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming each use W plus a distinctive second letter. The two-word states use the initial of the second word:

  • WA — Washington (W + A from WAshington)
  • WV — West Virginia (W for West, V for Virginia)
  • WI — Wisconsin (W + I from WIsconsin)
  • WY — Wyoming (W + Y from WYoming)

Other Abbreviations That Catch People Off Guard

Beyond the letter-group clusters, a few individual abbreviations don't follow the obvious pattern:

  • KS — Kansas (not KA, because KY was already assigned to Kentucky)
  • KY — Kentucky (K + Y from KentuckY)
  • OH — Ohio (O + H from oHio, not OI)
  • RI — Rhode Island (R for Rhode, I for Island)
  • TN — Tennessee (T + N from TeNnessee)
  • TX — Texas (T + X from TeXas)
  • CT — Connecticut (C + T from ConnecTicut)
  • WV — West Virginia (W for West, V for Virginia)

More U.S. State Symbol Quizzes

Once you've locked in the abbreviations, the state capitals quiz is a natural next challenge — many of the same states that have tricky abbreviations also have surprising capitals.

For a broader test, the U.S. States General Knowledge Quiz mixes abbreviations, capitals, flags, birds, and nicknames in a single round.

State Capitals Quiz U.S. States General Knowledge Quiz

Frequently Asked Questions

Which state abbreviations are the hardest to remember? ⌄
The eight M-states (MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT) and eight N-states (NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY) are the most commonly confused. Within the M-states, MN (Minnesota) and MO (Missouri) trip people up most often.
Why does Kansas use KS instead of KA? ⌄
KA isn't used because the USPS assigns unique codes, and the system reserves the Y position for Kentucky (KY). Kansas takes KS — the K from Kansas and the S from KanSas.
Why does Pennsylvania use PA instead of PE? ⌄
PA comes from a traditional abbreviation used long before the USPS standardized two-letter codes in 1963. 'Penna.' was the common shorthand, which naturally produced PA.
Does the quiz include Washington, D.C.? ⌄
No. D.C. uses the code DC, but it is not a state — it's the federal district. The quiz covers all 50 states only.
Does the quiz test both directions? ⌄
Yes. Some questions show an abbreviation and ask which state it belongs to. Others show a state name and ask for the correct two-letter code. Both directions are tested.
Are the questions different each time I play? ⌄
Yes. Both the question order and the answer choices shuffle every round.
What state is MA? ⌄
MA is Massachusetts — the first two letters of the state name. It's one of the eight M-states that cause the most confusion, alongside MD (Maryland), ME (Maine), MI (Michigan), MN (Minnesota), MO (Missouri), MS (Mississippi), and MT (Montana).
What state is MD? ⌄
MD is Maryland — M plus D from MarylanD. Of the eight M-states, Maryland is the only one whose abbreviation ends in D, which makes it easier to remember once you know the pattern.
What state is ME? ⌄
ME is Maine — the first two letters. ME is one of the most searched state abbreviations because it looks like the English word 'me', which makes it memorable but also easy to overlook when scanning a list.
What does IN stand for? ⌄
IN is Indiana — the first two letters. The four I-states (Idaho/ID, Illinois/IL, Indiana/IN, Iowa/IA) all start with I, so the second letter is what distinguishes them.
What state is ID? ⌄
ID is Idaho — I plus D from IDaho. It's easy to confuse with IL (Illinois), IN (Indiana), and IA (Iowa), so knowing the second letter is key: D for Idaho.
What state is AL? What is the AL state abbreviation? ⌄
AL is Alabama — the first two letters of the state name. The four A-states each take a different code: Alabama is AL, Alaska is AK, Arizona is AZ, and Arkansas is AR.
What is the abbreviation for Alabama? ⌄
The abbreviation for Alabama is AL. It's the first two letters of the state name. People sometimes confuse it with AK (Alaska), AZ (Arizona), or AR (Arkansas) because all four start with A.
What is the abbreviation for Missouri? What state is MO? ⌄
Missouri's abbreviation is MO — the first two letters. MO is often confused with MI (Michigan), MN (Minnesota), and MS (Mississippi). Among the eight M-states, MO belongs exclusively to Missouri.
What is the abbreviation for Arkansas? What state is AR? ⌄
Arkansas is AR — the first two letters. It looks similar to AK (Alaska) and AZ (Arizona), but AR is uniquely Arkansas. The pronunciation of Arkansas ('AR-kan-saw') surprises some people, but the abbreviation is straightforward.
What is the abbreviation for Michigan? What state is MI? ⌄
Michigan is MI — M plus I from MIchigan. Among the eight M-states, MI is Michigan. The most common mix-up is between MI (Michigan), MN (Minnesota), and MO (Missouri).
What is the abbreviation for Louisiana? What state is LA? ⌄
Louisiana is LA — the first two letters. LA is widely associated with Los Angeles the city, but as a U.S. postal code it belongs to the state of Louisiana. Florida is FL, Alabama is AL — LA is Louisiana.
What is the abbreviation for Nebraska? What state is NE? ⌄
Nebraska is NE — the first two letters. NE is easy to confuse with NV (Nevada), NJ (New Jersey), and NH (New Hampshire). Among the eight N-states, NE ends in E, which maps to NEbraska.
What is the abbreviation for Minnesota? What state is MN? ⌄
Minnesota is MN — M plus N from MiNnesota. MN is one of the trickiest M-states because the N doesn't come from an early position in the word. Missouri is MO, Michigan is MI — MN belongs to Minnesota.
What is the abbreviation for Montana? What state is MT? ⌄
Montana is MT — the first two letters. MT is straightforward once you know the M-state set. Missouri is MO, Minnesota is MN — MT is uniquely Montana's.
Do I need to sign up to play? ⌄
No. The quiz is free and starts immediately, no account required.