This work is for a basic understanding about the synthesis process of ZnO structures like nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires (NWs). ZnO NPs and NWs have been successfully prepared by using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) methods under a normal environment. The optical properties of as-synthesized NPs and NWs are characterized by using different techniques like photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The structural and morphological properties of prepared morphologies of ZnO were investigated by Xray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The compositional verification of the synthesized samples were measured by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to confirm the presence of Zn and O. The effective defect control in the PL emission and the uniform wire-like structure with a hexagonal tip confirmed the formation of NWs. This work gives a comparative study and successful synthesis techniques of ZnO NWs and NPs.