“On accident” or “by accident”: which is correct?
by accident
The short answer
The correct phrase is by accident, as by is the appropriate preposition to use with accident according to standard English usage.
Why people get it wrong
The phrase on accident likely arose by analogy with on purpose, as both phrases are used to describe the manner in which something happened.
What kind of mistake it is
It is a grammatical error in prepositional phrase usage.
Examples with by accident
- She spilled her drink by accident.
- I left my umbrella at the restaurant by accident.
- He called the wrong number by accident.
Quick check
She spilled her drink .
The correct phrase is by accident, as by is the appropriate preposition to use with accident according to standard English usage.
Spotted a mistake in this article? Tell us