Collocations for "pen"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "pen" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2026
pen
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- a [fountain, writing, feather, ballpoint, quill, dip, felt-tipped] pen
- [write with, use] a [fountain] pen
- in [blue, black, red] pen
- can I borrow [a, your] pen (for a second)?
- do you have a pen [handy, on you]?
- let me [find, grab, get] a pen
- [find] a pen to [write, take, note] (it) down
- pick up your pen (and write)
- dipped his pen in the [well, inkwell, ink]
- don't have a pen on me
- my pen ran out of ink
- [hate, spite, vitriol] flowed from the writer's pen
- the pen is mightier than the sword
- the [nib, tip, point] of the pen
- a [pig, sheep, cattle, baby, play] pen
- [build, fence, make] a [pig] pen
- a pen drive
- a pen [drawing, sketch, scribble, lid, tip]
- pen [ink, nibs, cartridges, refills]
- pen marks on your [skin, shirt, face]
- her pen name is
- have a pen pal in [China]
- a poison pen letter
- pen a [novel, play, letter]
- the [novel] was penned by
- penned [a sketch, an outline]
- pen in the [cattle, sheep, chickens]
- pen up the [cattle]
- penned up like [cattle]
- penned up in [cells, prison]
- penned up at [home, work]
- penned up with her
'pen' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
black
- borrow
- cattle
- circle
- clean
- download
- felt
- fetch
- flow
- format
- fountain
- fumble
- hammer
- her
- his
- ink
- manure
- mark
- marker
- my
- name
- nick
- not
- novel
- outline
- pad
- pal
- pencil
- pig
- pocket
- poem
- poison
- put
- refill
- sleeve
- stick
- sword
- this
- tip
- use
- well
- whose
- written