Abstract We present gravitational wave (GW) signal predictions from four 3D multigroup neutrino hydrodynamics simulations of core-collapse supernovae of progenitors with 11.2, 20 and 27 M⊙. GW emission in the pre-explosion phase strongly depends on whether the post-shock flow is dominated by the standing accretion shock instability (SASI) or convection and differs considerably from 2D models. SASI activity produces a strong signal component below 250 Hz through asymmetric mass motions in the gain layer and a non-resonant coupling to the proto-neutron star (PNS). Both convection- and SASI-dominated models show GW emission above 250 Hz, but with considerably lower amplitudes than in 2D. This is due to a different excitation mechanism for high-frequency l = 2 motions in the PNS surface, which are predominantly excited by PNS convection in 3D. Resonant excitation of high-frequency surface g modes in 3D by mass motions in the gain layer is suppressed compared to 2D because of smaller downflow velocities and a lack of high-frequency variability in the downflows. In the exploding 20 M⊙ model, shock revival results in enhanced low-frequency emission due to a change of the preferred scale of the convective eddies in the PNS convection zone. Estimates of the expected excess power in two frequency bands suggest that second-generation detectors will only be able to detect very nearby events, but that third-generation detectors could distinguish SASI- and convection-dominated models at distances of $\mathord {\sim } 10 \, \mathrm{kpc}$.