Above: Sentence Examples and When to Use It (vs Over, On)

Prepositions 8 min read Updated 28 October 2026

Above means “at a higher level than”, usually without touching: The painting hangs above the sofa. Temperatures rose above 30°C. Quick test: if one thing covers or touches the other, or moves across it, use over or on instead (a blanket over the bed, a book on the table, a plane flew over the city). If it is simply higher, on a scale or in space, above is the safe choice.

Quick picker: above, over or on?

You mean	Use	Example
higher, not touching	above (or over)	There’s a light above the door.
touching the top surface	on	The keys are on the shelf.
covering	over	She put a cloth over the cage.
moving across, to the other side	over	The dog jumped over the fence.
higher on a scale or measurement	above	above sea level, above average, above zero
more than a number (amounts, ages)	over (above also possible)	over 50 people; children over five
higher in rank	above	A colonel is above a major.
earlier on the page	above	See the table above.

1. Position: higher than something

This is the basic, physical meaning. The two things are usually not touching, and the higher one is often fixed in place, such as a shelf, a light, a sign or a flat in the same building.

The painting is above the sofa.
We live in the flat above the bakery.
Hang the mirror just above the sink.
A row of hooks runs above the coat rack.
Smoke rose above the rooftops.
The clouds hung low above the hills.
An eagle was circling high above us.
The castle stands on a cliff above the river.
Store chemicals on a shelf above children’s reach.
Her name appears above mine on the list.
A small window high above the stairs lets in the morning light.

Adverbs make the distance clear: just above, directly above, right above, high above, far above, slightly above.

2. On a scale: temperature, levels, averages

This is where above is clearly preferred to over, because you are thinking of a vertical scale or a line:

Temperatures stayed above freezing all week.
The town is 1,200 metres above sea level.
Her grades are well above average.
Prices rose above last year’s level.
Anything above 38°C counts as a fever.
The river is two metres above its normal level after the rain.
Only students scoring above 70% pass the course.
The plane climbed above 10,000 feet.

With simple counts of people or things, over and more than are more natural: over 200 guests, more than ten emails. Above 200 guests sounds stiff.

3. Rank and importance

In the army, a captain is above a lieutenant.
She’s two levels above me in the company.
Nobody is above the law.
He puts his family above his career.
Safety comes above everything else.
We value honesty above all.

Note the fixed phrase is on the corporate ladder, not “in”: She’s above me on the corporate ladder.

4. “Too good for”: above + noun or -ing

Be above something means you would not do it, because it is beneath you or against your principles:

She’s not above cheating if it helps her win. (she would cheat)
I thought he was above that kind of gossip.
No one is above making mistakes.
The judge’s conduct was above reproach.

The negative not above + -ing is the most common form and is usually critical: He’s not above lying.

5. In writing: “earlier on the page”

Above refers back to something earlier in the text. It can go after a verb or noun, or before a noun as an adjective:

As mentioned above, the deadline is Friday.
See the diagram above.
The address above is no longer in use.
Please send the above documents by email. (formal)
Contact any of the people listed above.
The above is a summary of our findings. (noun use, formal)

The opposite is below: see below, the table below. In emails, the above as a noun sounds formal; this or the points above is friendlier.

6. Sound, the sky and heaven

I couldn’t hear her above the noise of the traffic. (louder than)
His voice rose above the crowd.
The stars shone above.
A light came from the room above. (adverb, no object)
Orders came from above. (from people higher up in an organisation)

Expressions with above

Expression	Meaning	Example
above all	most importantly	Above all, stay calm.
above and beyond	much more than required	The nurses went above and beyond for my father.
above board	honest, legal, open	The deal was completely above board.
above suspicion	too trusted to be suspected	The manager was above suspicion.
above reproach	impossible to criticise	Her work is above reproach.
above average	better or higher than usual	an above-average result
keep your head above water	just manage to survive (often money)	We’re keeping our heads above water.
get above yourself	behave as if you’re more important than you are	Don’t get above yourself.
a cut above	better than	This café is a cut above the rest.
over and above	in addition to	There’s a fee over and above the ticket price.

Above vs over in more detail

For a plain “higher than” position, both are often fine: a lamp above/over the table. Choose:

over for covering (a roof over our heads), crossing (a bridge over the river, walk over the hill) and touching (she put her hand over her mouth);
over for “more than” with numbers and ages (over 18, over an hour);
above for scales and levels (above zero, above average), for rank, and for text references (see above).

Compare: The plane flew over the city (moving across it) and The plane was above the clouds (at a higher level). See our page on over for more examples.

Above vs on

On means touching the surface. Above means there is space in between.

The cat is on the bed. (lying on it)
The shelf is above the bed. (fixed to the wall, higher up)
There’s a sticker on the window, and a blind above it.

Above vs higher than

Higher than compares two heights directly: This mountain is higher than that one. Above places one thing at a level over another: The cabin is above the tree line. With figures both work, but above is the neutral choice for a fixed line and higher than for a comparison: Rents are above the national average / Rents are higher than last year.

Above vs beyond

Beyond is about distance or limits, not height: the hills beyond the town (further away), beyond my control, beyond belief. That is why the fixed phrase above and beyond combines the two: higher than expected and further than required.

Above without an object

When the thing below is obvious, above can stand alone as an adverb. It usually comes after a noun or at the end of the clause:

The people in the flat above are very noisy.
Seen from above, the fields look like a patchwork quilt.
Birds circled above.
Temperatures will reach 25 degrees or above.
All children aged ten and above must wear a helmet.

Opposites: below and under

Below is the direct opposite of above: below zero, below average, see below, the flat below ours. Under is the opposite of over and often means directly beneath or covered: under the table, under a blanket, under 18. More on below and under.

Common mistakes

Most mistakes with above come from using it where English needs on (touching) or over (covering, crossing, ages and amounts).

Wrong	Right	Why
The book is above the table.	The book is on the table.	it is touching the surface
We walked above the bridge.	We walked over / across the bridge.	movement across
Children above 12 pay full price.	Children over 12 pay full price.	over is usual with ages
Put a blanket above the baby.	Put a blanket over the baby.	covering
The temperature is over zero. (acceptable, but)	The temperature is above zero.	scales prefer above
As above mentioned, …	As mentioned above, … / As stated above, …	word order
She is above of me.	She is above me.	no of after above

Practice

Choose above, over or on.

The thermometer read five degrees ___ zero.
She jumped ___ the puddle.
Your glasses are ___ your head!
There’s a smoke alarm ___ the kitchen door.
The film is for people ___ 15.
Please read the instructions ___ before you start.
He put his coat ___ the sleeping child.
Honesty matters ___ all.

Answers: 1. above 2. over 3. on 4. above 5. over 6. above 7. over 8. above

Write your own: one sentence about your home (position), one about the weather (scale) and one using above all.

Quick answers

Is above a preposition or an adverb?

Both. With an object it is a preposition (above the door); without one it is an adverb (the flat above, see above). In formal writing it can also be an adjective (the above address).

Can I say “the above-mentioned”?

Yes, in formal or legal writing: the above-mentioned property. In everyday writing, the property mentioned above sounds more natural.

What is the difference between “above” and “on top of”?

On top of means resting on the highest surface: the box on top of the wardrobe. Above leaves a gap: the shelf above the wardrobe. On top of also means “in addition to”: On top of that, it started to rain.

Can above start a sentence?

Yes. Above the door hung an old horseshoe. This inverted order (place first, then verb, then subject) is common in descriptive writing. In everyday speech, An old horseshoe hung above the door is more usual.

Is it “above 18” or “over 18”?

Over 18 is the usual phrase for age. Aged 18 and above and 18 and over are both common in rules and signs.

For the full set of prepositions, see what a preposition is.

Author

Mateo Cruz

Born in Miami, Florida, Mateo is a bilingual educator with a Master's in Spanish Education. He has spent the last decade developing Spanish curricula. Mateo is passionate about helping students master conversational Spanish and everyday vocabulary.

“Above”: Sentence Examples and Usage Guide