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.
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:
- ‘…government of the people, by the people, for the people’ — from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, 1863
- ‘I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors’ — from Barack Obama’s first speech as president, 2009
- ‘Go home tonight and check in on your neighbours. Start a phone tree with your street. Plan how you’ll keep in touch with one another’ — from Jacinda Ardern’s Level 4 lockdown speech, 2020.
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.
- ‘Fix it, close it, or sell it’ — Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, on his strategy to improve the company’s performance
- ‘Kick your video up a notch. Over a smidge. Or down a hair’ — from Apple’s website marketing for the iPhone 11
- ‘Here I am: signed, sealed, delivered – I’m yours’ — from Stevie Wonder’s 1970 hit song.
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.
- Plan, summarise, and write shorter. We’ve included a free template that will help you plan and write concise summaries.
- Add emphasis, and get answers to email questions. You’ll find out how to use the ‘threemail’ model to get answers when you ask questions by email.
- Tame long lists. Long bullet-point lists distract readers, so we show how you can use threes to create lists that are easier to scan.
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(Last updated: January 2025)
