Python Dictionary `items()` Method

The dict.items() method lets you get both the keys and values from a dictionary at the same time.

Beginners usually use it when looping through a dictionary. Instead of getting a key first and then looking up its value, items() gives you each key-value pair together.

Quick example

person = {"name": "Ana", "age": 25}

for key, value in person.items():
    print(key, value)

Output:

name Ana
age 25

Use items() when you need both the dictionary key and its value in the same loop.

What `items()` does

items() returns all key-value pairs from a dictionary.

Important points:

Each result is a pair in the form (key, value)
Each pair is a tuple
The most common use is looping through a dictionary

Example:

person = {"name": "Ana", "age": 25}

print(list(person.items()))

Output:

[('name', 'Ana'), ('age', 25)]

If you are still learning dictionaries, see Python dictionaries explained or what is a dictionary in Python.

Basic syntax

The syntax is simple:

my_dict.items()

Things to remember:

items() does not take any arguments
It does not change the original dictionary
It gives you a way to access key-value pairs

Example:

scores = {"Alice": 90, "Bob": 85}

result = scores.items()

print(result)
print(scores)

Output:

dict_items([('Alice', 90), ('Bob', 85)])
{'Alice': 90, 'Bob': 85}

The dictionary stays the same.

What it returns

items() returns a dict_items view object.

That means:

You can loop over it
You can convert it to a list if needed
It reflects changes made to the dictionary

Example:

data = {"x": 1, "y": 2}
pairs = data.items()

print(list(pairs))

data["z"] = 3

print(list(pairs))

Output:

[('x', 1), ('y', 2)]
[('x', 1), ('y', 2), ('z', 3)]

This happens because pairs is a view of the dictionary data, not a separate copied list.

Looping with `items()`

This is the most common way beginners use items():

student = {"name": "Mia", "grade": "A", "age": 14}

for key, value in student.items():
    print(f"{key}: {value}")

Output:

name: Mia
grade: A
age: 14

This pattern is clearer than looping through keys and then looking up each value:

student = {"name": "Mia", "grade": "A", "age": 14}

for key in student:
    print(f"{key}: {student[key]}")

Both work, but for key, value in student.items() is often easier to read when you need both parts.

For a full guide, see how to loop through a dictionary in Python.

Converting the result

If you want to see all pairs clearly, you can convert the result to a list:

colors = {"apple": "red", "banana": "yellow", "grape": "purple"}

pairs_list = list(colors.items())

print(pairs_list)

Output:

[('apple', 'red'), ('banana', 'yellow'), ('grape', 'purple')]

This creates a list of tuples.

Use this when:

You want clearer printed output
You need list behavior
You want to inspect all pairs at once

`items()` vs `keys()` vs `values()`

Dictionary methods give different parts of the dictionary:

items() gives both key and value
keys() gives only keys
values() gives only values

Example:

person = {"name": "Ana", "age": 25}

print(list(person.keys()))
print(list(person.values()))
print(list(person.items()))

Output:

['name', 'age']
['Ana', 25]
[('name', 'Ana'), ('age', 25)]

Use the method that matches your task:

Need just keys? Use keys()
Need just values? Use values()
Need both together? Use items()

When to use `items()`

items() is useful for tasks like:

Printing dictionary contents
Building formatted output
Looping through settings and values
Showing names with scores
Working with labels and their data

Example:

settings = {
    "theme": "dark",
    "language": "English",
    "notifications": True
}

for setting, value in settings.items():
    print(f"{setting} = {value}")

Output:

theme = dark
language = English
notifications = True

Common mistakes

Here are some common beginner mistakes when using items().

Trying to unpack `items()` incorrectly

Each result from items() has two parts: a key and a value.

This works:

person = {"name": "Ana", "age": 25}

for key, value in person.items():
    print(key, value)

This is wrong because it tries to unpack into only one variable pattern:

person = {"name": "Ana", "age": 25}

for key in person.items():
    print(key)

This code is not an error, but key is actually the full tuple, such as ('name', 'Ana'), not just the key.

If you want the full pair, use one variable:

for item in person.items():
    print(item)

If you want separate key and value, use two variables:

for key, value in person.items():
    print(key, value)

Expecting `items()` to return a regular list

items() returns a dict_items object, not a list.

Check it:

my_dict = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

print(my_dict.items())
print(type(my_dict.items()))
print(list(my_dict.items()))

Output:

dict_items([('a', 1), ('b', 2)])
<class 'dict_items'>
[('a', 1), ('b', 2)]

Changing the dictionary while looping over `items()`

Be careful when changing a dictionary during iteration.

Problem example:

numbers = {"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3}

for key, value in numbers.items():
    if value == 2:
        numbers["d"] = 4

Changing the dictionary size while looping can cause errors.

A safer approach is to loop over a copied list of items:

numbers = {"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3}

for key, value in list(numbers.items()):
    if value == 2:
        numbers["d"] = 4

print(numbers)

Forgetting that each result is a key-value pair

If you print each item directly, you will see tuples:

data = {"x": 10, "y": 20}

for item in data.items():
    print(item)

Output:

('x', 10)
('y', 20)

That is normal. Each item is one (key, value) pair.

FAQ

What does dictionary `items()` return in Python?

It returns a dict_items view containing key-value pairs as tuples.

Does `items()` return a list?

No. It returns a view object. Use list(my_dict.items()) if you need a list.

Can I loop through keys and values with `items()`?

Yes. Use this pattern:

for key, value in my_dict.items():
    print(key, value)

Does `items()` change the dictionary?

No. It only gives you a way to access the pairs.

Python Dictionary items() Method

Python Dictionary `items()` Method