If the sentence still makes sense with ‘up’ inserted, then ‘onto’ is correct. Working out which of the two is correct can be achieved by analysing the sentence, by checking on meaning, or by trying the word ‘up’ before on as a cheat. In conclusionĪs insignificant as the difference between ‘onto’ and ‘on to’ may seem, there are specific instances in which one or the other will be the correct choice. So when all else fails, analysing the meaning you are trying to convey may help you with your dilemma. This could be compared with the frog jumping (up) onto a stone.

In the second example, the group of people ended up on the football field itself. They didn’t necessarily end up on the football field itself, but they chose to approach it. In the first example, the speaker and his companions wandered from one place to another. These sentences are both correct, but they have slightly different meanings. This ‘cheat’ works nine times out of ten, but there may still be times when choosing between ‘on’ and ‘onto’ can be confusing. She held (up) on to the steering wheel.Īs we can see, ‘up fits well into the first example, but doesn’t make any sense in the second.So, using the first of each of our sets of examples: If it’s a good fit, ‘onto’ is likely to be the correct word choice. Try taking the word ‘up’ and see how it fits into the sentence if you use it before ‘on’. In most cases, it will clarify which of the two you should use.

To save yourself from the tricky business of sentence analysis every time you have to decide whether or not you’ll use ‘on to’ or ‘onto’, try this cheat. ‘On’ is associated with the verbs ‘held’, ‘log’ and ‘move’ in these examples, while ‘to’ links us to the object of the sentence – the steering wheel, the website or the exhibit. In this instance ‘on’ is part of a phrase containing a verb and acts as an adverb, while ‘to’ is a preposition linked to an object.

I’ll be onto the next task as soon as this one is done.

In informal language, ‘onto’ is also used to show that you’re ‘on top of’ a situation, or well-informed:

I don’t know how the mayonnaise got onto my sweater.Although you might be pardoned for thinking it to be an adverb, it’s actually a preposition. It simply means that something landed on, was placed on top of or ended up on something else. ‘Onto’ could, in many instances, be replaced with the less commonly used ‘upon’. The big difference explained When to use ‘onto’ We’ll first look at the reasons, and then we’ll check out the ‘cheat’ that will solve your dilemma without too much grammatical analysis. There’s actually quite a big difference between ‘on to’ and ‘onto’, but there’s also a really simple way to know which one of these options you should be using at any given time. When you’re talking, nobody’s going to be looking for a space between ‘on’ and ‘to’, but when you’re writing, that little space can make the difference between correct work and an embarrassing mistake. They look so similar, and yet they are so different. Some examples include was vs were, who vs whom, and further vs farther. There are a number of words which can be confusing to those using English.

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