The highly dispersed WO3·H2O nanoplates have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction assisted by citrate acid. WO3 nanoplates have been prepared by the calcination of as-prepared WO3·H2O at 450°C. XRD data show that WO3·H2O and WO3 have good crystal structure and high purity. SEM images show that WO3·H2O and WO3 have the uniform nanoplates morphology with the edge length of about 100-150 nm. The selective absorbance of citrate acid with many OH groups onto [010] facet of tungsten oxide precursors can result in the controlled growth of WO3·H2O, thus leading to the good dispersion and small size of WO3·H2O nanoplates. The electrocatalytic activity of WO3·H2O and WO3 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been investigated in detail. The good electrocatalytic activity for HER has been obtained, which may be attributed to the good dispersion and small size of nanoplates. And the growth mechanisms of WO3·H2O and WO3 nanoplates have been discussed.