onto
gb/ˈɔntu/ us/ˈɔntu/
A2
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
preposition
A2
relation
1
Moving to be on something
Shows movement to a place on top of something.
Usage pattern:
to move [someone/something] onto [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'onto' with 'on'. 'Onto' is used for movement; 'on' is for position.
Synonyms
upon (More formal or literary, often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Antonyms
off (Indicates movement away from a surface, opposite of onto.)
Collocations
climb onto
|jump onto
|get onto
|fall onto
|load onto
Themes
daily life
|movement
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She climbed onto the roof to fix the antenna.
- The cat jumped onto the table.
- He loaded the boxes onto the truck.
- The glass fell onto the floor and shattered.
- We stepped onto the stage as the lights came up.
Learner examples
- The dog jumped onto the bed.
- He put his bag onto the chair.
- She went onto the bus.
- I climbed onto the wall.
- They carried the box onto the ship.
preposition
B1
relation
2
Moving to next subject/activity
Shows going from one thing to another, often in time or topic.
Usage pattern:
move/change onto [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'onto' with 'into' when talking about involvement; 'onto' suggests progression or change, not entry inside something.
Synonyms
toward (Indicates direction toward something but less specific about change of topic or activity.)
Antonyms
away from (Indicates moving in the opposite direction from a subject or activity.)
Collocations
move onto
|go onto
|proceed onto
Themes
conversation
|time
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After discussing the budget, we moved onto the next item.
- Let’s go onto the main course now.
- He quickly went onto another topic.
Learner examples
- We moved onto the next lesson.
- She went onto a new job.
- Now we go onto the next game.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
Aware of situation/idea
Knowing what is really happening or what someone is doing.
Common mistake:
Learners may mistakenly use 'on to' instead of 'onto' in this idiomatic use; 'onto' is correct when meaning aware of or having discovered something.
Synonyms
aware (General word for knowing about something; 'onto' implies active awareness or suspicion.)
Antonyms
unaware (Not knowing about something happening.)
Collocations
be onto someone
|be onto something
Themes
knowledge
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police are onto him and will catch him soon.
- I think you’re onto something with that idea.
- She’s onto their plan to cheat.
Learner examples
- The teacher is onto him for cheating.
- You are onto a good idea.
- They are onto the thief.
Grammar
Dictionary form
onto
IPA
GB/ˈɔntu/
US/ˈɔntu/
Syllables & stress
onto (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (onto)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: onto
- Comparative: ontoer
- Superlative: ontoest
Word family
Expressions
be onto someone
1/bˈi ˈɔntu sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
informal
Aware of someone's actions
To know what someone is doing, especially if they are doing something bad.
Examples
- The police are onto the gang’s activities.
- She’s onto her kids skipping school.
be onto something
1/bˈi ˈɔntu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Discovering an important idea
To have an idea or plan that could be very good or successful.
Examples
- I think we’re onto something with this new recipe.
- She’s onto a great business opportunity.