Categories: Featured

On vs Upon: Difference between On and Upon

On means “at or in place of”, and upon means “upon, upon arrival, or as a result”. For example, you might say that the party was “on time”, while the guest would say that they “were upon arrival”.

On vs Upon: Both words have the same meaning – they’re both adverbs that describe how something happens. However, there is a subtle but important difference between these two words that can affect how you use them in your writing.

On means “at or in place of”, and upon means “upon, upon arrival, or as a result”. For example, you might say that the party was “on time”, while the guest would say that they “were upon arrival”. Both adjectives (on time and upon arrival) take the preposition on as their base word.

The main difference between these two words is that upon implies something is happening as a result of an action or event that has already taken place – for example, after you knock on someone’s door, they may answer it upon hearing your voice. On, by contrast, refers to an action or state that is taking place at this moment. For example: the sun is shining on us.

Shall vs Should: Difference between Shall and Should

On vs Upon: What is the difference between On and Upon?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the two words as follows: “on – (on board a ship) at the moment of sailing; (in terms of time) at the present time; (as an adverb) immediately; (in combination) on or in connection with” and “upon – (upon someone or something) as a result of being placed, situated, or happening”; however, there are some minor differences between these two words.

For example, upon is often used when referring to people or things in relation to their status or position in life, whereas on is more often used when referring to things such as ships. Additionally, while upon typically means “upon”, it can also be used to mean “at the moment of”, which is the primary meaning of on. Additionally, a word like ‘alight’ can be both on and upon depending on how you use it- for example, if you say someone has alighted from the train then they have disembarked but if you say someone has alighted from their bed then they have arisen from bed. Finally, one final difference between these words is that upon usually takes a direct object (e.g. upon John), whereas on typically does not

On vs Upon: Examples of when to use On and Upon?

When to Use On:

1. To describe an action that is taking place as part of a continuous process. For example, “The car was on the freeway.”

2. To express time or a duration. For example, “It took the car 10 minutes to get onto the freeway.”

3. To indicate possession or ownership of something. For example, “The car is on my driveway.”

4. To introduce a quotation or a reference to something else. For example, “I read this article on on-demand publishing.”

How to use On and Upon in your writing?

When it comes to the difference between On and Upon, many people might be thinking that they are spelled the same way. However, there is a noticeable distinction between the two words. Here is a breakdown of the two words:

On: Used as an adverb, on means at or in place. For example, “I parked my car on the side of the road.”

Upon: Used as a preposition, upon means with or upon. For example, “He handed her the book upon his arrival.”

Aliya Tabassum

Aliya Tabassum is Chief Sub-Editor at Eduvast. She is an English Literature graduate, has expertise in news writing, content creation, and people management.

Recent Posts

100 Percent VA Disability Benefits: How Much Will Veterans with a Spouse and Child Get in 2025?

Veterans with a 100% disability rating, a spouse, and one child will receive $4,201.35 per…

9 hours ago

2026 VA Disability Rates: When Will the New Increase Be Announced?

Veterans are waiting for the 2026 VA disability pay raise update, expected in October. The…

1 day ago

$600 Tariff Rebate Checks Could Be Coming Soon: This New Bill is for Working Families

A new bill may give millions of Americans a $600 stimulus check in 2025. It…

1 day ago

CalFresh Recertification August 2025: Important date to keep your benefits going

CalFresh recipients must complete recertification by the deadline in August 2025 to keep receiving food…

2 days ago

Major Changes coming to Medicare in 2026: What it means for you?

Changes in Medicare 2026: A big change is on the way that will affect millions of…

2 days ago

Social Security August 2025: How Much More Will You Receive This Month After COLA Increase?

Millions on Social Security will see slightly higher checks in August 2025, thanks to the…

3 days ago