on top of vs on the top of

Both "on top of" and "on the top of" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "On top of" is more commonly used to indicate something is physically above something else, while "on the top of" is used when referring to the uppermost part of something.

Last updated: April 04, 2024 • 168 views

on top of

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to indicate that something is physically above or on the highest point of something else.

Examples:

The cat is on top of the table.
The book is on top of the shelf.
The keys are on top of the dresser.
She placed the vase on top of the mantelpiece.
The blanket is on top of the bed.

Show examples from the web [+]

I dreamed I was on top of a tall building alone amongst the clouds.
I'm on top of a building.
Just a man driving on top of a historic monument.
Officer down on top of the Transcorp building.
Spread melted butter on top of each pancake.
Landed right on top of us.
The kid fell on top of him.
I'd be on top of things... if I'd kept your boss locked up.
Except the scan indicates that the singularities are forming on top of Fielding's lab.
This image has been laid on top of a fixed pixel array.
Suddenly finding yourself on top of a parasol is a shock.
You put one on top of another and something emerges.
Almost on top of the Italian guns now.
One on top of another, they led to violence.
Come, lie on top of me.
Nine Immortal men live on top of the mountain.
You blow out candles on top of a birthday cake.
Really psyched, standing on top of a...
He's living with advancing prostate cancer on top of long-standing HIV.
It's a pigeon sitting on top of a church.

Alternatives:

above
atop
over

on the top of

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when referring to the uppermost part of something, indicating a specific location on the highest point.

Examples:

There is a bird on the top of the tree.
The flag is on the top of the pole.
She found her keys on the top of the dresser.
The cat is sitting on the top of the wall.
The snow is on the top of the mountain.

Show examples from the web [+]

Dec 22, 2022 ... The aluminum tip is placed on the top of the Washington Monument. It was the tallest building in the world upon its completion in 1884, ...
Mar 9, 2023 ... Lights appear on the top of your HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini, and change colors depending on what you're doing on your HomePod ...
Dec 11, 2019 ... Hard corns usually form on the top of toes – areas where there is bone pressure against the skin. Soft corns: These corns are whitish/gray ...
Dec 31, 2021 ... In some instances, the soft spot on the top of your baby's head may seem to be pulsating. There is no need to worry—this movement is quite ...
Left bumper (2) and right bumper (7): These oblong-shaped controls reside on the top of the controller to the left and right of the USB-C charging ...
... of the big toe; and the navicular (a bone on the top of the midfoot). The most common sites for stress fractures in the foot are the metatarsal bones.
Left bumper (2) and right bumper (7): These oblong-shaped controls reside on the top of the controller to the left and right of the USB port.
What is the "Attachment Sequence Number" on the top of my income tax schedules? Answer; Answer. Page Content. If you are filing a paper income tax return, ...
State-issued enhanced driver's licenses do not have a star on the top of the card. Washington state issues enhanced driver's licenses only. These documents will ...
Jun 17, 2021 ... There are not many muscles on the top of the head, but they may play a role in some types of headaches. A tightening of the neck and head ...

Alternatives:

at the top of
on top of the
on top

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