This article reports the controlled size of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via simple aqueous chemical route without the involvement of any capping agent. The effect of different calcination temperatures on the size of the ZnO nanoparticles was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that all the samples have crystalline wurtzite phase, and peak broadening analysis was used to evaluate the average crystallite size and lattice strain using Scherrer's equation and Williamson–Hall (W–H) method. Morphology and elemental compositions were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The average crystallite size of ZnO nanoparticles estimated from Scherrer's formula and W–H analysis was found to increase with the increase in calcination temperature. These results were in good agreement with AFM results. Optical properties were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy in diffused reflectance (DR) mode, with a sharp increase in reflectivity at 375 nm and the material has a strong reflective characteristic after 420 nm at 500 °C calcination temperature. Furthermore, photoluminescence spectroscopic results revealed intensive ultraviolet (UV) emission with reduced defect concentrations and a slight shifting in band gap energies with increased calcination temperature from 200 °C to 500 °C. This study suggests that the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles with bandgap tunability might be utilized as window layer in optoelectronic devices.