List of Prepositions

Here is a list of prepositions that are the most important to know. You'll also find their pronunciation on this page.

But first of all, what are prepositions? They are the little words that you use before a noun (e.g. at the party), a noun phrase (e.g. in the beautiful lake) or a pronoun (e.g. beside him). It connects to the following word, clarifying its meaning (e.g. time, duration, direction...).

Some of the prepositions (especially the most common ones) have more than one meaning. The context and your knowledge of grammar will help you find out which meaning is intended in a particular sentence. For example:

There was no-one in the building. ("in" refers to a position)She didn't start school in 1982. ("in" refers to a longer period of time)

List of Prepositions

• about /əˈbaʊt/
• above /əˈbʌv/
• across /əˈkrɑːs/
• after /ˈæf.tɚ/
• against /əˈgentst/
• along /əˈlɑːŋ/
• among /əˈmʌŋ/
• around /əˈraʊnd/
• aside /əˈsaɪd/
• at /æt/ or /ət/
• away /əˈweɪ/
• before /bɪˈfɔːr /
• behind /bɪˈhaɪnd/
• below /bɪˈloʊ/
• beside /bɪˈsaɪd/
• besides /bɪˈsaɪdz/
• between /bɪˈtwiːn/
• beyond /biˈjɑːnd/
• by /baɪ/
• despite /dɪˈspaɪt/
• down /daʊn/
• during /ˈdʊr.ɪŋ/
• except /ɪkˈsept/
• for /fɔːr/ or /fɚ/
• from /frɑːm/ or /frəm/
• in /ɪn/
• in front of /ɪn frʌnt ɑːv/
• inside /ɪnˈsaɪd/
• into /ˈɪn.tuː/
• like /laɪk/
• near /nɪr/
• next to /nekst tu/
• of /ɑːv/
• off /ɑːf/
• on /ɑːn/
• onto /ˈɑːn.tu/
• opposite /ˈɑː.pə.zɪt/
• out /aʊt/
• out of /aʊt ɑːv/
• outside /ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/ or /ˈaʊtsaɪd/
• over /ˈoʊ.vɚ/
• past /pæst/
• round /raʊnd/
• through /θruː/
• throughout /θruːˈaʊt/
• to /tu/ or /tə/
• toward(s) /tʊˈwɔːrdz/
• under /ˈʌn.dɚ/
• unlike /ʌnˈlaɪk/
• until /ənˈtɪl/ or /ˈʌntɪl/
• up /ʌp/
• with /wɪð/
• within /wɪˈðɪn/
• without /wɪˈðaʊt/

Here is a list of prepositions that are more formal, old-fashioned, literary or aren't used that often:

• amid /əˈmɪd/
• amidst /əˈmɪdst/
• amongst /əˈmʌŋst/
• atop /əˈtɑːp/
• beneath /bɪˈniːθ/
• lest /lest/
• midst /mɪdst/
• underneath /ˌʌn.dɚˈniːθ/
• unto /ˈʌn.tuː/
• upon /əˈpɑːn/