English 
español 
française 
italiano 
deutsche 
日本語 
polski 
česky 
svenska 
Türkçe 
Nederlands 
Why "on accident" is an unfortunate mistake
Lloyd Cooper 08/10/2024, 17:10English.me team member
What kind of error is it?
It is a grammatical error in prepositional phrase usage.
Why do people make this mistake?
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 is correct?
The correct phrase is "by accident," as "by" is the appropriate preposition to use with "accident" according to standard English usage.
Examples of correct usage
- She spilled her drink by accident.
- I left my umbrella at the restaurant by accident.
- He called the wrong number by accident.
Recommended posts in 
Grammar
The sound reason: why "mute point" is a common misstep
People often mishear the phrase "moot point" and mistakenly use ... Learn more →
Why "daily regiment" is marching in the wrong direction
People often confuse "regiment" with "regimen" because they sound similar, ... Learn more →
Why "untill" is a spelling slip-up
People often make this error due to confusion arising from ... Learn more →
Famous mistake: why "is renown for" is incorrect
The error arises from confusion between the noun "renown" and ... Learn more →