List of English Prepositions: 100+ Prepositions With Examples and a Cheat Sheet
Yurii Rebryk · Updated September 24, 2026 · 15 min read
A preposition is a word used before a noun, a noun phrase or a pronoun that connects it to another word: in, on, at, to, for, with. How many exist depends on what you count: Wikipedia’s list has 115 current single-word prepositions plus 91 multi-word ones, EnglishClub says about 150, Berlitz counts 257. This page lists 107 in 8 tables, with a frequency cheat sheet, the in/on/at grid, confusing pairs, weak forms in speech and common mistakes.
In this article
- How many prepositions are there in English?
- Preposition cheat sheet: the 20 most common prepositions
- Full list of English prepositions by category (107 entries)
- In, on and at for time and place
- Prepositions learners confuse: 8 pairs with the rule in one line
- How prepositions sound in speech: weak and strong forms
- Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
- Common preposition mistakes: 10 corrections
How many prepositions are there in English?
There is no official number, because the word class has no fixed edge: some lists count single words only, some add multi-word prepositions such as in front of, some include rare or archaic forms. Three reference counts, all opened on September 24, 2026:
| Source | Count | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia, List of English prepositions | 115 single-word + 91 multi-word | Current single-word entries in the main section plus complex prepositions; intransitive, conjunctive and archaic sections come on top |
| EnglishClub | “About 150” | One-word prepositions; its short list has 70 common ones |
| Berlitz | 257 | Place, time and more, single and multi-word |
| This page | 107 | 75 single-word and 32 multi-word prepositions in the 8 tables below |
A learner does not need all of them: the 20 in the cheat sheet carry ordinary conversation, and the categorized list is for looking things up. Cambridge Dictionary defines a preposition as “a word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun, connecting it to another word”. Learn each preposition inside a phrase: it sticks in a sentence you have said, which is the method behind the guide to improving English speaking.
Preposition cheat sheet: the 20 most common prepositions
Ranks come from the Oxford English Corpus (more than 2 billion words) as published in Wikipedia’s Most common words in English. 17 prepositions sit inside the top 100 words; the last 3 rows are everyday prepositions outside the top 100. (That table also tags but, if, than and because as prepositions under a newer grammar analysis; they are left out here.)
| Preposition | OEC rank | Main use | Spoken example |
|---|---|---|---|
| to | 3 | direction, recipient | Send it to Maya. |
| of | 4 | belonging, part of a whole | A cup of coffee. |
| in | 7 | inside; months, years, cities | She is in a meeting. |
| for | 12 | purpose, recipient, duration | I waited for an hour. |
| on | 14 | surface; days; topics | The report is on your desk. |
| with | 15 | together; instrument | Open it with this key. |
| as | 17 | role, comparison | She works as a nurse. |
| at | 20 | a point in space or time | Meet me at the door at 6. |
| by | 24 | agent, means, deadline, next to | Send it by email by Monday. |
| from | 25 | origin, starting point | I’m from Turkey. |
| up | 42 | to a higher point | Walk up the stairs. |
| out | 43 | outward (American English) | He looked out the window. |
| about | 45 | topic; approximately | We talked about the budget. |
| like | 54 | similarity | It sounds like a good plan. |
| into | 62 | movement to the inside | Put the files into the box. |
| over | 78 | above with movement; more than | It cost over $100. |
| after | 82 | later than | Call me after lunch. |
| between | outside top 100 | two sides or items | Sit between Tom and Priya. |
| under | outside top 100 | lower than; less than | The keys are under the bag. |
| through | outside top 100 | from one side to the other | Go through the door. |
Full list of English prepositions by category (107 entries)
Each preposition appears once, in the category of its most frequent meaning; many have others too (by is place, agent and deadline). Each table works as a preposition list on its own.
1. Prepositions of place and position (22)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in | inside a space, city, country | The keys are in my bag. |
| on | a surface, line, floor | The cup is on the table. |
| at | a point or specific place | Wait at the entrance. |
| above | higher, no contact | The shelf is above the desk. |
| below | lower, no contact | The valley is below the road. |
| over | directly above; covering | A lamp hangs over the table. |
| under | directly below; covered | The cat is under the chair. |
| underneath | under, often hidden | The cable runs underneath the carpet. |
| beneath | under (formal) | The box is beneath the stairs. |
| beside | next to | Sit beside me. |
| between | one on each side | The café is between the bank and the pharmacy. |
| among | inside a group | She is popular among her colleagues. |
| behind | at the back of | The bike is behind the house. |
| near | a short distance from | We live near the station. |
| by | right next to; also agent, means | The desk by the window is free. |
| inside | within a container or building | Your badge is inside the envelope. |
| outside | not inside | Let’s meet outside the office. |
| within | inside limits | The hotel is within walking distance. |
| opposite | facing | The bakery is opposite the school. |
| beyond | on the far side of | The farm is beyond the river. |
| upon | on (formal) | The book lay upon the table. |
| alongside | next to and parallel | The path runs alongside the road. |
2. Prepositions of movement and direction (17)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | toward a destination | I’m going to the bank. |
| into | to the inside of | She walked into the room. |
| onto | to a position on | The cat jumped onto the sofa. |
| toward | in the direction of (also towards) | He ran toward the exit. |
| from | away from a starting point | The train from Boston is late. |
| through | in one side, out the other | We drove through the tunnel. |
| across | from one side to the other | Walk across the street. |
| along | following a line | They walked along the river. |
| around | in a circle; on all sides | We walked around the lake. |
| past | beyond a point | Go past the church and turn left. |
| up | to a higher point | Carry it up the stairs. |
| down | to a lower point | Roll it down the hill. |
| off | away from a surface | Take your feet off the seat. |
| via | passing through | We flew to Delhi via Dubai. |
| aboard | on or onto a vehicle | Everyone is aboard the plane. |
| throughout | in every part of | Offices throughout Europe. |
| out | through and away from (American English) | She went out the back door. |
3. Prepositions of time (9)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| after | later than | We can talk after the meeting. |
| before | earlier than | Call me before noon. |
| during | within a period | It rained during the night. |
| since | from a starting point until now | I have worked here since 2022. |
| until | up to a point in time | The store is open until 9. |
| till | until (informal) | Wait till Monday. |
| pending | while waiting for | On hold pending approval. |
| following | after (formal) | Following the launch, sales rose. |
| ago | before now (placed after the noun) | She left two hours ago. |
4. Prepositions of cause, purpose and agent (4)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| for | purpose or reason | Thank you for your help. |
| given | taking into account | Given the delay, we should call. |
| considering | taking into account | Considering the price, it is a good phone. |
| per | for each; according to | The rate is $20 per hour. |
Most cause meanings are carried by multi-word prepositions (because of, due to, thanks to, table 8) and by by for the agent of a passive verb (“written by Tom”).
5. Prepositions of manner, means and instrument (5)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| with | using a tool; together with | Cut it with scissors. |
| without | not having, not using | He left without his phone. |
| like | in the same way as | She drives like a professional. |
| unlike | different from | Unlike his brother, he is quiet. |
| as | in the role of | She joined as a consultant. |
6. Prepositions of relation, comparison and concession (10)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| of | belonging; part of; made from | The door of the car. |
| about | on the topic of | A book about Lisbon. |
| concerning | about (formal) | A question concerning your invoice. |
| regarding | about (formal) | An email regarding the contract. |
| re | about (subject lines) | Re: your order. |
| versus | against, compared with | Renting versus buying. |
| than | in comparisons | She is taller than me. |
| despite | although there is | We went out despite the rain. |
| notwithstanding | despite (formal) | Notwithstanding the cost, they signed. |
| worth | having the value of | A house worth a million dollars. |
7. Prepositions of exception and addition (8)
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| except | not including | Everyone came except Daniel. |
| but | except (after all, everyone, nothing) | Nobody but Priya knew. |
| besides | in addition to | Besides English, she speaks Hindi. |
| barring | unless there is | Barring delays, we land at 6. |
| plus | with the addition of | The price plus tax is $54. |
| minus | with the subtraction of | Salary minus tax. |
| including | with … as part of the whole | Five came, including the manager. |
| excluding | not counting | $200 excluding delivery. |
8. Multi-word prepositions (32)
Two or three words that work as one preposition, always followed by a noun. Many are typical of business English: on behalf of, in accordance with, with regard to, as of.
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| according to | as stated by | According to the forecast, it will rain. |
| ahead of | before; in front of | We finished ahead of schedule. |
| along with | together with | Send the invoice along with the report. |
| apart from | except; besides | Apart from the price, I like it. |
| as of | starting from a date | As of June 1, the office closes on Fridays. |
| as well as | in addition to | She speaks Portuguese as well as Spanish. |
| aside from | except; besides | Aside from one typo, the text is fine. |
| away from | at a distance from | Keep the laptop away from water. |
| because of | for the reason of | The flight was late because of fog. |
| close to | near | The hotel is close to the airport. |
| due to | caused by | The delay was due to a strike. |
| except for | not including | Empty except for a chair. |
| in accordance with | following a rule | Paid in accordance with the contract. |
| in addition to | as well as | In addition to salary, there is a bonus. |
| in case of | if something happens | In case of fire, use the stairs. |
| in charge of | responsible for | Maya is in charge of hiring. |
| in favor of | supporting | The board voted in favor of the plan. |
| in front of | ahead of, facing | A truck is parked in front of the gate. |
| in spite of | despite | They played in spite of the rain. |
| in terms of | from the point of view of | In terms of cost, plan B is cheaper. |
| instead of | in place of | Take the bus instead of a taxi. |
| next to | beside | The printer is next to the door. |
| on account of | because of | Canceled on account of snow. |
| on behalf of | representing | I am calling on behalf of my manager. |
| on top of | on the upper surface of; in addition to | The box is on top of the fridge. |
| out of | from the inside of; no longer having | We are out of milk. |
| owing to | because of (formal) | Owing to illness, the class is canceled. |
| prior to | before (formal) | Prior to the meeting, read the brief. |
| regardless of | not affected by | Everyone pays the same, regardless of age. |
| thanks to | because of (positive) | Thanks to your help, we finished early. |
| up to | as far as; a maximum of | The room holds up to 40 people. |
| with regard to | concerning | With regard to your request, the answer is yes. |
Same word, different job. Before, after, since and until are prepositions when a noun follows (before the meeting) and conjunctions when a clause follows (before we start). Up, down, in, on, off, over and through are prepositions with a noun after them (up the stairs) and adverbs, or phrasal-verb particles, without one (turn the light off).
In, on and at for time and place
| Preposition | Time use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | clock times, meal times, night, holidays as points | at 6:30, at noon, at night, at Christmas |
| on | days, dates, a day plus a part of it | on Monday, on May 5, on Friday morning, on the weekend (American; at the weekend in British English) |
| in | months, years, seasons, decades, parts of the day, time from now | in May, in 2026, in winter, in the morning, in 10 minutes |
| no preposition | after next, last, this, every; with yesterday, today, tomorrow | next week, last year, every day, tomorrow morning |
| Preposition | Place use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | a point, an address, an event, a place seen as a location | at the door, at 12 Oak Street, at the airport, at work, at home |
| on | surfaces, lines, streets, floors, public transport, screens, sides | on the table, on Main Street, on the second floor, on the bus, on the left |
| in | enclosed spaces, cities, countries, cars and taxis, water, print | in the kitchen, in Madrid, in Brazil, in a taxi, in the pool, in the newspaper |
Transport is a common slip: on a bus, train, plane or bike, but in a car or a taxi. The dialogue runs the whole grid in one exchange; say Maya’s lines with the trainer, then swap roles.
Where and when is the meeting?
A2- Tom
Hi Maya, where is the client meeting on Thursday?
- Maya
It’s at the Riverside office, on the third floor, in the room next to the kitchen.
- Tom
And what time does it start?
- Maya
At 10 in the morning. We should arrive at the building by 9:45.
- Tom
Are you going in your car or on the train?
- Maya
On the train. The office is opposite the station, so I’ll walk from there.
- Tom
Good. Is the agenda on the shared drive?
- Maya
Yes, it’s in the folder for September, under the client’s name.
- Tom
Perfect. See you at the entrance at 9:45, then.
- Maya
See you there. I’ll be the one with the blue folder.
Practise this dialogue
Listen to the whole exchange, then take one role: your partner’s lines are read aloud, you say yours into the microphone and see which words came through.
Prepositions learners confuse: 8 pairs with the rule in one line
| Pair | Rule in one line | Right | Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| since vs for | since + a starting point; for + a length of time | here since 2020; here for six years | here since six years |
| by vs until | by = no later than; until = up to that moment, continuing | Send it by Friday. I’ll be here until Friday. | Send it until Friday. |
| between vs among | between for separate items, usually two; among for a group | between the two offers; popular among colleagues | among the two offers |
| in vs into | in = position; into = movement to the inside | She is in the room. She walked into the room. | She walked in the room (she walked around inside it). |
| at vs to | at = location; to = movement to a destination | She is at the office. She went to the office. | She went at the office. |
| beside vs besides | beside = next to; besides = in addition to | Sit beside me. Besides English, she speaks Hindi. | Sit besides me. |
| to vs for (purpose) | to + verb for a purpose; for + noun or -ing for a function | I went out to buy milk. A knife for cutting bread. | I went out for buy milk. |
| of vs from | of = belonging or part; from = origin or source | a friend of mine; a gift from Maya | a gift of Maya |
How prepositions sound in speech: weak and strong forms
Inside a sentence, one-syllable prepositions carry no stress and their vowel reduces to a schwa; Cambridge Dictionary lists a strong and a weak form for each (linked in the table). The strong form is used when the word is stressed or ends the sentence: the function words listed as “reduced, but stressed at the end of a sentence” include as, at, for, from, of and to (Wikipedia, Stress and vowel reduction in English).
| Preposition | Strong (US) | Weak | Weak inside a sentence | Strong at the end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| to | /tuː/ | /tə/ | I need to go to the bank. | Which team does she belong to? |
| for | /fɔːr/ | /fɚ/ | This is for Tom. | Who is it for? |
| of | /ɑːv/ | /əv/ | A cup of tea. | What is it made of? |
| at | /æt/ | /ət/ | See you at six. | What are you looking at? |
| from | /frʌm/ | /frəm/ | I’m back from work. | Where are you from? |
The full forms are citation forms, how a word sounds alone. Used in every position they give each word the same weight, so the content words stop standing out and the sentence sounds like reading aloud. The first text trains the weak forms: read it at a normal pace and let every to, for, of, at and from shrink to a schwa. The second puts a stressed preposition at the end of every sentence. More drills are in the pronunciation practice guide and the read-aloud text library.
A morning of weak forms
B1I got to the office at half past eight and went straight to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. There was a note from Priya on the counter, so I took a photo of it and sent it to the team. At nine we had a call with a client from Turkey about the timeline for the next phase of the project. After the call I walked to the bank at the end of the street and came back with the documents for the accountant.
Read it aloud
Listen to a model reading, then record yourself. You get your speaking pace, the share of words that came through clearly, and the words to repeat.
Strong forms at the end
B1Who is this package for? Where did it come from? What is it made of? Which floor should I take it to? Who do I hand it to? What are you waiting for? What are you looking at? Is there anything else I should know about? Fine, that is all I need to ask for.
Read it aloud
Listen to a model reading, then record yourself. You get your speaking pace, the share of words that came through clearly, and the words to repeat.
Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
Yes. In February 2024 Merriam-Webster posted on Instagram that “it is permissible in English for a preposition to be what you end a sentence with,” and that the idea it should be avoided “came from writers who were trying to align the language with Latin” (NPR, February 27, 2024). The dictionary’s usage note traces the ban to the 17th-century writers Joshua Poole and John Dryden. In speech, “What are you waiting for?” is the normal form; “For what are you waiting?” is grammatical but formal and rare.
Common preposition mistakes: 10 corrections
Most preposition errors come from translating the first language’s preposition word by word. The fix is to learn the verb or adjective together with its preposition, as one unit, and say the unit aloud.
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She is married with a doctor. | She is married to a doctor. | married to; with only in “married with two children.” |
| We discussed about the plan. | We discussed the plan. | discuss takes a direct object; talk about takes the preposition. |
| I arrived to the office. | I arrived at the office. I arrived in London. | arrive at a place, arrive in a city or country. |
| It depends of the weather. | It depends on the weather. | depend on, always. |
| I’ll do it in the weekend. | I’ll do it on the weekend. | American English: on the weekend; British: at the weekend. Never in. |
| I have worked here since three years. | I have worked here for three years. | since needs a starting point; for takes a length of time. |
| She is good in English. | She is good at English. | good at, bad at, better at for skills. |
| Can you explain me the rule? | Can you explain the rule to me? | explain something to someone; the person is never the direct object. |
| I listen music on the train. | I listen to music on the train. | listen to, even though hear takes no preposition. |
| Let’s go to home. | Let’s go home. | home works as an adverb after go, come and get: no preposition. |
Take the tables into a spoken sentence
The spoken examples in every table are there to be said, and a conversation is where they stick. Fluently is an AI speaking coach for non-native professionals: hold a voice conversation or a role-play on everyday and work situations, and after each answer get feedback on pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar. The app is on iOS and Android and opens with a free 4-minute speaking assessment; a trial comes before any subscription.
Frequently asked questions
How many prepositions are there in English?
Between about 100 and 250, depending on what is counted. Wikipedia’s list has 115 current single-word prepositions and 91 multi-word ones, EnglishClub estimates about 150 one-word prepositions, and Berlitz lists 257 with multi-word forms. This page lists 107; about 20 of them cover almost all everyday speech.
What are the most common prepositions in English?
By frequency in the Oxford English Corpus: to, of, in, for, on, with, as, at, by, from, up, out, about, like, into, over and after, in that order. To and of are the 3rd and 4th most frequent words in the language. The cheat sheet above gives each one a main use and a spoken example.
What is a preposition? A simple definition
A preposition is a word placed before a noun, a noun phrase or a pronoun to link it to the rest of the sentence, usually by showing place, time, direction or relation: in the kitchen, on Monday, to the station, with a friend. The word after it is its object, and the two together form a prepositional phrase.
Can a sentence end with a preposition?
Yes. Merriam-Webster stated it publicly in February 2024 and explains in its usage note that the old rule came from 17th-century writers who wanted English to behave like Latin. Questions such as “Who is it for?” and “What are you looking at?” are the normal spoken form, and the preposition at the end takes its strong, stressed pronunciation.
