The FANBOYS acronym is a memory aid for the seven coordinating conjunctions in English: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet and So. These short words join two words, two phrases or two complete sentences that carry equal weight.
Teachers use FANBOYS because it makes a list of tiny words easy to recall, and because it unlocks one of the most tested comma rules in school writing. If you can name the seven words, you can spot where a comma belongs in a compound sentence.
Quick facts
Stands for
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, SoWhat they are
Coordinating conjunctionsType
Mnemonic acronymHow to say it
FAN boys, as one wordUsed in
Grammar lessons, essay writing, test prepKey rule
Comma before the conjunction when it joins two full sentences
What does FANBOYS stand for in English?
| Letter | Word | What it shows | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | For | A reason | She grabbed a coat, for the wind was cold. |
| A | And | Addition | We cooked dinner, and our neighbors brought dessert. |
| N | Nor | A second negative idea | He does not drink coffee, nor does he like tea. |
| B | But | Contrast | The test was long, but it was fair. |
| O | Or | A choice | You can walk to school, or you can ride the bus. |
| Y | Yet | A surprising contrast | The store was closed, yet the lights were on. |
| S | So | A result | It started to rain, so the game moved inside. |
Notice that the order of the letters is only there to make a word you can remember. It has nothing to do with how often each conjunction is used.
The comma rule behind the FANBOYS acronym
When a FANBOYS word joins two independent clauses, put a comma before it. An independent clause is a group of words that could stand alone as a sentence, with its own subject and verb.
An essay draft: "Maya studied all weekend and she passed the exam." Both halves can stand alone, so the edit is: "Maya studied all weekend, and she passed the exam."
If the second part cannot stand alone, leave the comma out. "Maya studied all weekend and passed the exam" has one subject sharing two verbs, so no comma is needed. Some style guides also let writers skip the comma when both clauses are very short, such as "I came and I saw."
Using each conjunction well
- For sounds formal when it means because. In daily speech, most people use because instead.
- Nor flips the word order after it: "nor does he," "nor can they."
- But and yet both show contrast, and yet adds a sense of surprise.
- So as a conjunction means "as a result." Do not mix it up with "so that," which shows purpose.
- And and or also join simple lists: "apples, pears and plums."
Starting a sentence with and or but is fine in most modern writing, despite an old school myth that it is wrong. Use it on purpose, not on every line.
What FANBOYS does not cover
FANBOYS lists only the coordinating conjunctions. English has other kinds of joining words that follow different comma rules.
| Type | Examples | Comma habit |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating (FANBOYS) | and, but, so | Comma before it when joining two full sentences |
| Subordinating | because, although, when, if | Comma after the clause when it comes first |
| Correlative pairs | either...or, neither...nor, both...and | Usually no comma between the pair |
| Conjunctive adverbs | however, therefore | Semicolon before and comma after when joining two sentences |
A common mistake is to treat however like but: "It rained, however we played." That needs a semicolon or a period instead.
Practice: spot the FANBOYS
- "The bus was late, so we missed the first bell." (so joins two full sentences, comma needed)
- "He tried to call but got no answer." (but joins two verbs, no comma)
- "You can text me, or you can leave a note." (or, comma needed)
- "The puppy is small, yet it barks like a big dog." (yet, comma needed)
- "Bring a pen and a notebook." (and joins two nouns, no comma)
Try writing two of your own sentences for each of the seven words. Saying FANBOYS out loud as you check a draft is a quick way to catch missing commas.
FANBOYS and other grammar memory tricks
FANBOYS is said as a single word, "FAN boys," which makes it a spoken acronym and not a string of letters. It belongs to the family of school memory aids gathered on the memory acronyms hub, alongside PEMDAS for the order of operations in math. Outside grammar class, the word fanboys also refers to very devoted fans of a hobby, which has nothing to do with this meaning.
For how acronyms like this one differ from other short forms, the basics pages on acronyms and on acronym vs abbreviation are a good next step.
Questions people ask
What does FANBOYS stand for?
The seven letters stand for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet and So. These are the seven coordinating conjunctions in English.
Do you always need a comma before a FANBOYS word?
Only when it joins two independent clauses. If the second part has no subject of its own, skip the comma.
Is because one of the FANBOYS?
No. Because is a subordinating conjunction. For has a similar meaning and is on the list.
Can you start a sentence with a FANBOYS word?
Yes. Starting with and, but or so is accepted in most writing today, though formal papers may use it less often.