Magic of Threes: a shortcut to crisp writing

Simon Carter | November 11, 2020

Even if you haven’t heard the term ‘magic of threes’, you’ve certainly seen and heard how threes work. Politicians and speechwriters have been using it to persuade and convince since Roman times. Business leaders use it to sound definite, confident, concise.

Image, white Arabic numeral 3 painted on a green background

Three is the magic number. Image by Tony Hand / Unsplash licence

Threes work for world leaders, and they’ll work for you

Search for ‘magic of threes’ online, and you’ll find plenty of examples of threes in famous speeches:

In these speeches, three points add rhythm and emphasis. The formal term is a tricolon, from the Greek for three points. Speechwriters call it a claptrap as it helps prompt applause.

The magic also works on everyday writing

Threes can help you with your everyday writing, whether you’re dashing off an email, writing a memo to a client, or finessing an important report. And threes are always useful when you’re trying to persuade: this New York Times article, ‘The Power of Three’ shows that three claims help persuade, but adding more makes people sceptical.

Threes aren’t just for speakers on the global stage: you’ll find that threes work in all kinds of communication.

Practical tips on how to use threes — and a free summary template

We  put together a Quick Guide that shows how the magic of threes can sharpen up your everyday writing. The Guide is a free download that shows you how to use threes to do three things.

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(Last updated: January 2025)

Magic of Threes

A Write Quick Guide that shows how you can use the Magic of Threes to sharpen up your everyday writing. The Guide includes a template that will help you plan and draft crisp, concise summaries.
Download

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