On to vs. Onto
Rule 1: In general, use onto as one word to mean on top of, to a position on, upon. Use onto if you can use up before on.
Examples:
He climbed (up) onto the roof.
Let’s step onto the dance floor.
She held on to her child in the crowd. (She did not hold up her child.)
I’m going to log on to the computer.
Rule 2: Use onto when you mean fully aware of; informed about.
Example: We canceled Julia’s surprise party when we realized she was onto our plan.
Pop Quiz
1. Billy, I’m worried that climbing on to/onto that tree limb is unsafe.
2. After capsizing, Ming and Lee held on to/onto the side of their boat until rescuers arrived.
3. Jose stepped down from the ladder on to/onto the ground.
4. The magician realized one person in the audience was on to/onto his trick.
5. After you drive five miles, turn on to/onto Highway 280 south.
6. You better hold on to/onto your hat on that roller coaster!
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Billy, I’m worried that climbing onto that tree limb is unsafe.
2. After capsizing, Ming and Lee held on to the side of their boat until rescuers arrived.
3. Jose stepped down from the ladder onto the ground.
4. The magician realized one person in the audience was onto his trick.
5. After you drive five miles, turn onto Highway 280 south.
6. You better hold on to your hat on that roller coaster!
Click here to learn hundreds of distinctions between common words.
Posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010, at 8:53 am
86 Responses to “On to vs. Onto”
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Good morning, I need to say many thanks for an great web-site about a topic I have had an curiosity in for some time now. I’ve been exploring in and reading through the comments and only wanted to express my many thanks for giving me some pretty helpful reading material. I anticipate reading more, and taking a more active part in the comments here, while picking up some expertise as well
Thank you!
Using ‘up” is such a simple solution. Thank you. Your blog is invaluable, especially when working as a technical writer among software engineers
I am glad you find it helpful, Ron.
Excellent tip! I’ve never heard that before, but it makes it all clear.
Thank you for your kind comment, Lance.
In the sentence “I knew they were onto/on to us,” which is correct?
I knew they were onto us.
Would you say that “open plan living areas spill onto a deck”? or on to? Wasn’t sure about this one!
Open plan living areas spill onto a deck.
What about “you made it on to/onto a list of contenders” ? On to ?
You made it onto a list of contenders.
What about “turn on to South Blvd.” vs. “turn onto South Blvd.”?
Turn onto South Blvd.
Another easy solution is you can usually replace onto with upon. If not, you should probably be saying: on to.
This website is helpful! Thanks!
Yes, that is a good way to make sure you are using the correct word. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, do we say “pour the water on the flowers” or “pour the water on to the flowers” or “pour the water onto the flowers”?
Either “pour the water on the flowers” or “pour the water onto the flowers” would be grammatically correct.
What about “I logged onto/on to Skype” ?
I logged on to Skype.
I’m confused by a couple of the examples above by adding up to onto that infers in that sentence that up means up vs. down, or a spill and a pour goes up vs. down due to gravity. If adding up truly means the direction up or even adding up in quantity, it seems nonsensical to add up in these instances: 1) Open plan living areas spill (up) onto a deck. Spills or falls can’t go up. 2) Pour the water onto the flowers. Pouring water (up) is impossible. Help me understand how adding the word up works if the action it creates in the sentence can’t happen. I like the idea of adding up but I can see myself doubting the reasoning and therefore making the wrong on to/onto choice. Thanks for your help!
In the first sentence, “Open plan living areas spill onto a deck,” the word spill does not take on the meaning of a liquid running out. Instead, it means flow (as in flow of space). With this meaning, it makes sense to say that open plan living areas spill upon a deck.
In the case of the second sentence, “Pour the water onto the flowers,” the technique suggested by “megan” above is more useful. If you think of it as “Pour water upon the flowers,” it makes more sense than “Pour water up onto the flowers.”
Which is correct: “…he was able to hold on to his branch” OR “…he was able to hold onto his branch”?
How about “…just to hang on to the branch…” OR “…just to hang onto the branch…”?
Using the “upon = onto” rule, the 1st example should be “on to” and the second “onto.” Agree? Or does it matter? I prefer “onto” in both cases.
Since you cannot add up before on in either of your examples, and, considering the definition of onto in The American Heritage Dictionary of “on top of, to a position on, upon,” use on to in both sentences.
He was able to hold on to his branch.
Just hang on to the branch.
This is just one of the many helps I’ve found on your website. I’ve recently become an editor for a new novelist. I’ve used this website to check words and usage I ‘m not certain of. Often I am right. Sometimes I don’t know. Sometimes I am wrong. But this website has been an invaluable resource for me to learn from and be certain that my projects are in great shape when finished.
I am glad you find our website helpful, Janet. Good luck with your work.
I am preparing my wedding invitations and I am writing the directions to the church and hotel. I don’t know whether to say “turn right onto Boston Road” or “turn right on to Boston Road.” Thanks for your advice! Elizabeth
Turn right onto Boston Road.
I’m a transcriptionist, and I have run into two separate instances.
Number 1: “I didn’t know there would be interest added on to the loan.”
Number 2: “So what initially was $10, onto that was added interest.”
Any help would be awesome!
I didn’t know there would be interest added on to the loan.
So what initially was $10, on to that was added interest.
How about the word “Log On” and “Log onto” when telling customers that they can check their account balance when they have log on to their internet banking account?
It should be “log on to your account” or “log onto your account”? I used the former. Is it correct?
Since the expression is “log on,” use “log on to your account.”
Hi, Jane.
Would you say “That is something worth holding on to.” OR “That is something worth holding onto.”? My preference would be for “on to”.
Thank you.
Your preference is correct.
This is somewhat similar to Maria’s inquiry. There’s a lyric in a song that is written on the band’s website as “Hold onto chance” but I think it should be “Hold on to chance”. Which is correct? Thank you.
You are correct.
Hi,
Would this be correct?
Put your hand (up) onto this shoulder.
Yes, that is correct.
Very interesting…i thought onto was my word but now all this makes me think otherwise…as i do not need up.
Here is my phrase.
Onto day four.
I guess it should be On to day four.
This looks so odd to my eye. What do you think?
On to day four is correct.
Is someone elected onto the board of directors or on to the board of directors? Thanks!
On is an unnecessary preposition in this case. It would be better to write, “She was elected to the board of directors.” Once elected, you might write, “She is on the board of directors.”
How about “out”? Does that fit the same rule as “up”?
For example, would they step “onto” a dance floor?
Considering the definition of onto in The American Heritage Dictionary of “on top of, to a position on, upon,” you would use onto since they are certainly “to a position on” the dance floor.
Is this book available in hard copy? I would like to have a copy. With a PhD and a PsyD under my belt, that means two dissertations: no one is as picky as a PhD panel! Your insights are concise, easy to understand — excellent.
Thank you for the kind words. You may order the book through a number of different sources at http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_book.asp.
How about…
“Almost every King had added on to the castle, and there was no…”
I’m assuming from your above comment on “log on,” that “added on” falls in that category, but I wanted to make sure
You are correct. “Add on” is a common phrase used when referring to the construction of an addition to a building. Also, since “king” is not part of a proper name but is used generically, do not capitalize.
Almost every king had added on to the castle.
What about this instance:
On to tomorrow.
I assume you would be using the phrase in a sentence such as “Today is finished; on to tomorrow.” In that case, on to would be correct, not onto.
Install the part onto the engine?
or
Install the part on to the engine?
Thank you.
Either of the following would be grammatically correct:
Install the part onto the engine. (to a position on)
Install the part on the engine.
The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.
Is this correct?
Thanks
Since you are not literally holding each other up, use on to.
The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.
Hello Jane, what about “the article is posted onto the website” or “the article is posted on to the website”? I think “up onto” is fine too but not very sure…
The word to is unnecessary in your sentence.
The article is posted on the website.
I think this website is onto something.
Your sentence is correct in every way!
Great tip. Since one would not get up onto a computer, I would assume they would simply get on to a computer? Still struggling with this one a bit. Thanks in advance.
Since the person is not physically up on the computer, you could say that someone is logged on to a computer.
What about I’m moving onto/on to graduate school?
I’m moving on to graduate school.
what about this: “she took the hurt and held on to it.”
is that correct?
Yes, on to is correct. Don’t forget to start your sentence with a capital S.
Hi,
Could you help with the below:
Book onto/on to a 2012 construction course
I recommend, “book a 2012 construction course” or “enroll in a 2012 construction course.”
on/onto works for the first: “going ___ stage” and “first ___ the plane”?
The word to is unnecessary in your phrases. I recommend going on stage and first on the plane. Saying “first onto the plane” could properly be interpreted as the first person to climb on top of the airplane.
Is it:
“I love to turn them on to a great book.” OR
“I love to turn them onto a great book.”
Thanks!
Since the person is not physically up on the book, write I love to turn them on to a great book.
Is this sentence correct:
When she grabbed on to the chair, it fell onto her head.
Thanks!
I see that you are trying to imagine a single sentence that uses both on to and onto. While it’s a little hard to imagine the situation actually occurring, your sentence could be correct. Or, more simply, “When she grabbed on to the chair, it fell on her head.”
The rule is “use ‘onto’ when you could precede it with ‘up’”?
Do you use ‘on to’ in all other cases?
What about “I stepped down from the ladder [onto / on to] a skateboard that my son had left on the floor.”?
Maybe the rule should generalize ‘up’ to ‘up/down/left/right/over/under/etc.’ .
When it comes to English, there always seem to be exceptions to the rules. In general, “Use onto as one word if you can add up before on” is a sound rule and works most of the time. Sometimes, it can be a bit of a stretch. In your example, “I stepped down from the ladder onto a skateboard that my son had left on the floor” is correct since you ended in a position up on a skateboard. Generalizing the rule to include down, left, right, over, and under is not going to work, however.
And if you leave out the skateboard altogether, aren’t you still stepping “from the ladder down onto the floor”?
If I were to adopt the rule “Use ‘onto’ as one word if you can add ‘up’ before ‘on’” should I consider the rule to include an elliptical “and use ‘on to’ in cases where you CAN’T prefix it with ‘up’”?
In addition to the test of using the word up before on, we also need to consider the usage given in The American Heritage Dictionary of “on top of, to a position on, upon,” which may or may not include up before on. Therefore, “stepping from the ladder down onto the floor” is correct. It then follows that using on to in cases where you can’t prefix it with up is going too far. I will expand upon the “On to vs. Onto” blog in a future E-Newsletter.
A similar-looking complication arises with [into / in to]. I don’t think anyone would ever have to think about which to use in a sentence like “I turned them [into / in to] the police.” or “He turned water [into / in to] wine.” But I’m not so sure about “I turned my car [into / in to] the driveway.” I think I would write “into” but it’s surely a different “into” than the police example.
“I turned my car into the driveway” is correct since this is a proper use of the preposition into for indicating movement toward the inside of or in the direction of a place.
I too am having a hard time with the use of on vs. onto. I see many sources that also use the analogy of being able to put the word “up” before using “onto.” Do you turn “onto the highway” or “on to the highway”? As you don’t turn “up” on to the highway, I would assume “on to the highway” is correct. The same with “I towed the airplane out of the hangar and on to the ramp.” Another case: “screw a brain pressure monitor on to Sarah’s head.” And other instances, “fallen out of bed and on to the floor” and “a large porch built on to the front of the house.” This issue of on vs. onto is mind-boggling to me at times! I certainly will appreciate any direction from you that will help untangle this wacky word use for me.
I agree this can be mind boggling. There may be some instances where either word may be acceptable. In addition to the test of using the word up before on, we also need to consider the usage given in The American Heritage Dictionary of “on top of, to a position on, upon,” which may or may not include up before on. If you take that definition into consideration, one could argue for the use of onto in all of your examples. I will expand upon the “On to vs. Onto” blog in a future E-Newsletter.
How about “passionately helping students navigate their way through college and on to (onto) a successful career”
The correct spelling in your sentence should be on to.
which one is right?
‘All labels from Group 1 are not dragged on to the page’ or ‘All labels from group one are not dragged onto the page’
Considering the definition of onto in The American Heritage Dictionary of “on top of, to a position on, upon,” you would use onto.
All labels from Group 1 are not dragged onto the page.
I don’t think your use of the example sentence “I’m going to log on to the computer.” was helpful because “log on” should have been one word. Since this is a grammar forum and not an IT forum, I will spare you the technical distinction between login vs. logon. Logon/login is a noun or adjective and log on/in is an action verb.
In the example sentence, log on is used as an action verb, not a noun or adjective.