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Commonly Confused Prepositions: Above, Over, Below & Under

February 25, 2016

Some English prepositions have such similar meanings. Are words like above and over always interchangeable, or are there usage differences? Our new Grammar Practice Worksheets lesson on Prepositions of Place got us thinking about commonly confused prepositions such as above/over and below/under. Try presenting these prepositions together and explaining the most common usage to your English language learners.

Above & Over

These prepositions can be interchangeable, but the most common usage is this:

Use above when there is no movement.

Use over when there is movement.

Examples

  • There is a painting above the sofa. (no movement)
  • The chandelier hangs above the dining room table. (no movement)
  • The plane flew over the building. (movement)
  • The dog jumped over the log. (movement)

On

What about on? Use on when two nouns are touching (when a noun is directly on top of another noun). Use above when there is no touching.

Examples

  • There is a book on the desk. (touching)
  • The cat is sleeping on the bed. (touching)
  • The sun is directly above our heads. (no touching)
  • I see blue sky through the skylight above me. (no touching)

Below & Under

These prepositions are even more interchangeable than above and over. The important thing to remember is this:

Use under in most cases as it is much more common than “below.”

Use below when the meaning is “less than.”

Examples

  • My shoes are under the bed. (no movement, no touching)
  • The saucer is under the cup. (touching)
  • The boat passed under the bridge. (movement)
  • It is 18 degrees below zero. (less than)

What about beneath and underneath? These prepositions are also interchangeable with under and below, though I tell my students that they are a little more formal and that under is the best choice.

Examples

  • We sat under the tree. (most common/best choice)
  • We sat below the tree. (less common)
  • We sat underneath the tree. (a little more formal)
  • We sat beneath the tree. (more formal)

Related Resources

Try our Prepositions of Place lesson in the Grammar Practice Worksheets section!

For more examples and exceptions, there is a great article on under and below in Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary.

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Comments (77)

Nani Gopal Mandal(Guest)

Very clear explanation about the topics. I would like to know more about it. Where can I get it ?

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Tanya Trusler(Author)

Hi Nani,

If you're a subscriber, we have some preposition lessons and flashcards for you.

Penina Enambe(Guest)

I would like to learn more about Grammar

Tanya Trusler(Author)

Hi Penina, you can find more of my grammar blog posts here (especially my older posts): https://ellii.com/blog/authors/tanya-trusler

You might also want to check out our Grammar Collection: https://ellii.com/collections/grammar

linfa (Guest)

Wow, such simple illustrations. My children are going to enjoy the lesson today. Thanks

Reply to Comment

Tanya Trusler(Author)

Thank you, Linfa! I hope they enjoy it.

Raheel Ahmed(Guest)

Excellent explanations

Reply to Comment

Tanya Trusler(Author)

Thanks a lot!

Mozammel Haque(Guest)

The cat sat under the table /the cat sat below the table - which one is more correct?

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    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Mozammel,

    'Under' is usually the more natural preposition with furniture. 'The cat sat under the table' sounds best.

    Vinay (Guest)

    Why do we say bird is sitting in the tree, rather than on the tree. Can you explain pleaes.

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Vinay,

    Good question. Sometimes it's tricky. When it comes to 'in' and 'on,' try to picture if the place is 'surrounding' the noun. For example, we say 'The bird is sitting in the tree' because the tree surrounds the bird (all the branches and leaves). But if we're only looking at one branch, we can say 'The bird is sitting on a branch' because the branch isn't surrounding the bird, it's underneath the bird.

    Similarly, we say 'in a car' (the structure of the car is small and surrounding you) but 'on a bus' (a bigger structure isn't surrounding you as much), and 'on a couch' (bigger seating area) but 'in a chair' (the smaller armchair kind of surrounds you). Hope that helps!

    Sarkar Emdad(Guest)

    Nice question. But correct can't be more or less. Actually, both uses are correct. But 'under' is more frequently used in formal language than 'below'. Thanks bro.

    Anzar (Guest)

    please differ the fan is over the table or above the table.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Anzar,

    For a stationary object (an object that doesn't move), both over and above are possible. You could say:

    The fan is over the table. √
    The fan is above the table. √

    If there is a crossing movement, over is much more common, so it's always a good idea to remember the 'above = no movement/over = movement' rule.

    The dog jumped over the table. (It jumped from one side to another.)
    The dog jumped above the table. (It was on the table and jumped straight up.)

    Vinay (Guest)

    The way you explained the difference between the prepositions, is realy remarkable and very natural to teach our children. Normally I have seen many highly qualified people, making these types of minor mistakes, which is noticed by the persons who knows English language. So, I really appreciate such exercises to be discussed. I may also be somewhere wrong because I am not so much qualified. I would appreciate, if mistakes are brought to my notice in this paragraph.

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Thank you for your thoughtful words, Vinay! Here are a couple of things to watch:
    1st sentence: realy > really
    2nd sentence: persons who knows > people who know
    Last sentence: brought to my notice > brought to my attention

    Russell (Guest)

    What if I say ' The dog jumped on the table '

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    You can say that, but just be aware that 'on' and 'over' have different meanings. 'The dog jumped on the table' means the dog landed on the table. 'The dog jumped over the table' means the dog didn't land on the table—it landed on the floor (on the other side of the table).

    Nadeem Ahmad(Guest)

    Excellent.There is a lot to learn from this article.Thanks a lot.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    You're welcome, Nadeem!

    Deepak thakur(Guest)

    I am really confused among that it and this ..
    so please tell me where is use that and where is use it and this

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Deepak,

    Great idea for a blog post! I'll blog about 'that' and 'this' soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of posts on 'empty' subjects (like 'it' in 'It's a nice day') that might help you:
    It's & Its: https://blog.ellii.com/2014/08/21/teaching-tips-on-its-and-its/
    There Is & There Are: https://blog.ellii.com/2017/07/26/there-is-there-are/

    Arpit (Guest)

    Hi,
    Thank You for giving us such an easy tutorial.
    I was really confused above where to use 'Above' and 'Over'.
    But, now I am clear with the whole concept.

    Thank You

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    I'm happy to hear that, Arpit! Thanks.

    Akash (Guest)

    Hi,

    Thanks for explaining the difference between 'Below' and 'Under'
    Can I say,
    I am sitting below the tree?

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Great question, Akash! While 'below the tree' and 'under the tree' have the same meaning and both are technically correct, 'under the tree' is the more common way to say this. Some other common expressions that use 'under' include: under an umbrella, under the stars, under the sky, and under a roof. Remember that, in general, 'under' is more common than 'below' as a preposition of place.

    Wenmin Liang(Guest)

    I saw one example:
    'she hid above.' with a picture that a girl is standing on the table with a cover. I am confused because there is a touching between this girl and the table. So why 'above' Thank You !

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Wenmin,

    That is confusing. It would be much better to say 'She hid on the table (under a blanket).' 'On' implies she is touching the table. I guess they were using 'above' just to contrast it with 'under,' which is where you'd normally expect someone to hide. But I don't think 'above' is a great choice because you'd naturally think she wasn't touching the table (e.g., she was on a shelf above the table). Sometimes textbooks don't use the best examples!

    Wenmin Liang(Guest)

    I appreciated your answer. Thank you Tanya!

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    You're welcome! :)

    Frank (Guest)

    Thank you so much. I found you lesson very useful. But i am little bit confused of how to use 'under' and 'below' because i saw an example with below like this 'Arianne lives in the department below me' and below in this sentence definitely doesn't mean 'less than' as you mentioned above.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Frank, thanks for your comment. Remember that the guidelines in the post above are common usage points that will help students remember the main differences, but overall, these prepositions are interchangeable. In your example, both 'below' and 'under' are possible, but for buildings we generally use 'above' and 'below' for floors/levels.

    The post above mentions that if the meaning is 'less than,' use 'below' and not 'under.' That's one trick students can easily remember. But if the meaning is 'underneath,' both 'under' and 'below' are possible, with 'under' being slightly more common. The best usage sometimes depends on the situation/case, though (like 'below' for buildings), so keep practicing asking these kinds of questions! :)

    Ashok Kumar dash(Guest)

    The aeroplane is fying over. Is it right? If yes justify the statement.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Ashok, you're right to use 'over' with an airplane, but you need to say what it's flying over. You need a noun to follow the preposition. (E.g., 'The airplane is flying over the building.' or 'The airplane is flying over the field.')

    Sami S.(Teacher)

    Maim i have a question..
    I saw a question .
    Many minerals are found under the earth's crust. Cam we use below intead of under ??

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Sami,

    Yes, you could use either 'under' or 'below' in your sentence. These words are quite interchangeable. Remember, though, that 'under' is always the more common choice and will sound a bit more natural.

    Abhishek singh(Guest)

    'The roof is over my head '. Is it wrong as you said that generally we use over in case of movement and above in case of no movement, but here, no movement... So, is it right or wrong.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Abhishek,

    Good question. As mentioned in the Above & Over section, these prepositions can be interchangeable.

    In your example, both 'above' and 'over' are correct. While 'above' is more logical since there's no movement, 'over' sounds more natural. 'A roof over my head' is a common expression, so I'm glad you asked about this.

    Prahlad (Guest)

    'No one under/below an officer's rank can enjoy this facility'.What should be the right preposition in this case?

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Prahlad, great question. For a lower rank, we usually use 'below.'

    Nadeem (Guest)

    Tanya We will use below for lower rank and what we will use for upper rank

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Nadeem, for rank we usually use 'below' and 'above.'

    Santosh (Guest)

    The fan is directly above/over my head

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Santosh, both are correct and common, but it's slightly more common to say 'The fan is directly above my head.'

    Khurshid ali(Guest)

    Wonderful explanation about some tricky prepositions. Thanks a lot, it really helped. Please correct if this sentence is wrong :The fan is rotating /running /moving above /over my head.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Thanks, Khurshid! All the choices in your sentence are correct. I'd say that 'above' sounds a little more natural than 'over' when you're talking about a fan (since the movement isn't from one side to another).

    Marie McCusker(Guest)

    I hear weather people on TV saying "It will pass underneath OF us"Isn't the OF unnecessary? And wrong.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Marie,

    The "of" isn't wrong. We can say "It will pass underneath of us" or drop the "of" and say "It will pass underneath us." Dropping the "of" is more common, which is probably why it sounded wrong to you.

    Denis Savgir(Guest)

    You have a typo here:

    The cat is sleeping on the bed.v(touching)

    See the 'v'? It needs to be removed.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Thank you, Denis! All fixed. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know about that.

    Zairene D.(Member)

    Wow 😲 your so good

    Reply to Comment

    Tammy Wik(Ellii Staff)

    Thank you, Zairene! I will tell Tanya about your kind words :)

    Zairene D.(Member)

    Thankyou very much Tanya 😊

    Reply to Comment

    Tammy Wik(Ellii Staff)

    We are happy to help! Thanks again :)

    Aarti Singh(Guest)

    If "over" shows movement, why do we say "There's a bridge over or across the river.
    Please answer!

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Aarti,

    Good question! There are always exceptions to the main rules. It is correct to say "over" or "across" with a bridge. I tell my students to think of the action (movement) of crossing (e.g., driving or walking over the bridge). I think this is why "over" became acceptable to use with "bridge," because we're usually moving over it. But yes, students must remember that we can always use "over" with "bridge" even when there is no movement.

    Jyoti Jhunjhunwala(Guest)

    Very nicely explained in very simple way thanku

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    You're welcome, Jyoti! Thanks for commenting.

    Massa A.(Member)

    Thank you , for the wonderful information you giving us. I really enjoy it. Also it was same what I learning today. I will do more exercises to understand more. thank you, again for all the websites you provided to us.

    Reply to Comment

    Lei Kayanuma(Author)

    Hello Massa! Thank you for those kind words. We are happy to hear that you are enjoying the site!

    Gurimandeep K.(Teacher)

    The ceiling light is above the bed or over the bed.
    Which one is correct?

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Gurimandeep, they are both correct. If you were only referring to the ceiling, "above" would be more common since there is no movement (The ceiling is above the bed). Sometimes when we want to pinpoint a specific object above another object, we can use either, and they're both pretty common (The ceiling light is above the bed/The ceiling light is over the bed).

    Keith Merrick(Guest)

    Nice, clear explanation but I'm not sure I agree with all of it. Next week I have to teach prepositions of movement and I came here to see if I could get any tips. Two of the sentences I'm teaching are 'The sun rose above the house' and 'The sun dipped below the horizon'. Both of these involve movement and you couldn't really say 'The sun went under the horizon'. However, the rest I completely agree with.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Keith, this example is a great reminder that the guidelines in this post work as a general rule but that there are always exceptions! For "rise," I'd say that "above" and "over" are interchangeable, with "above" being more common:
    - The sun rose above the horizon. (correct, more common)
    - The sun rose over the horizon. (correct, less common)
    - The sun is now above/over the horizon. (correct, common)

    For "set" (or "go"), you're right that "below" works whereas "under" does not:
    - The sun set below the horizon. (correct)
    - The sun set under the horizon. (incorrect)
    - The sun is now below the horizon. (correct)

    I believe there's an easy explanation for "set," and it's that you can't see under the horizon/earth whereas you can see under a bridge, desk, table, bed, etc. Thanks for questioning this!

    Marian F.(Student)

    really I like this site may I join your class

    Reply to Comment

    Tara Benwell(Author)

    We're happy you like learning English on our blog! Maybe you would like Ellii's YouTube channel.

    Penina E.(Student)

    I like this lesson you explain me well

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    We're happy to hear that, Penina!

    Reply to Comment

    Martha Obeng-Denteh (Guest)

    I want more words

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Martha, if you put "prepositions" into our search field, you'll find all of our blog posts with examples using many more prepositions.

    Jamey W.(Teacher)

    Great stuff! It would be nice if we could add these blog posts directly to the student's area like tne lessons. Just a thought.

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Thanks, Jamey. I'll pass along your request. It's good to know that that feature would be useful for you.

    PALA BRAHMAIAH TALUPURI(Guest)

    Painting above the sofa
    Book on the desk
    Both are noun on a noun with contact.what is the correct one

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Pala, it depends if the two objects are touching or not. Use "on" when something is touching (e.g., The book is on the desk). Use "above" if it's not touching (e.g., The painting is above the sofa). In the case of the painting, it's not touching the sofa, but it is touching the wall where it's hanging, so you can also say "The painting is on the wall." Hope that helps!

    Riya Rathore (Guest)

    I am confused between up and on

    Reply to Comment

    Tanya Trusler(Author)

    Hi Riya, as a preposition before a noun, "up" involves movement (e.g., I went up the stairs) and "on" involves no movement (e.g., The book is on the table). "Up" and "over" both involve movement, but "up" is a more specific direction of straight up or up at an angle (e.g., stairs), and "over" is from one side to another (e.g., a bridge). Hope that helps!

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