1.
to make a machine or light start working
“Turn on the light, please.”
“I turned the TV on.”
“Can you turn it on?”
Synonyms: to switch on, to power on
Phrasal verb
What does turn on mean?
Meaning: to make a machine or light start working
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Turn on = to switch on a light, the TV, a computer or the water. It is separable: turn the light on or turn on the light. With a pronoun, the pronoun always goes in the middle: turn it on ✓ / turn on it ❌. The opposite is turn off.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to start the water or gas
common“Turn on the tap.”
“She turned on the shower.”
Synonyms: to open, to start
3.
to help someone discover and like something
idiomatic“My uncle turned me on to jazz.”
Word order
Separable
The object can go between the verb and the particle. With a pronoun (it, them), it always goes between.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- turn on
- Past Simple:
- turned on
- Past participle:
- turned on
- -ing form:
- turning on
Common mistakes to avoid
With a pronoun: between the verb and the particle
Turn on is separable. Turn it on ✓ / Turn on it ❌. With a noun, both orders work: turn on the light or turn the light on.
Turn on or switch on?
They mean the same (to make a machine start). Turn on is the most common everywhere. Switch on is used mostly in British English. For a light with a switch, both work. But for water, say turn on the tap, not switch on the tap ❌.
No light on without a verb
Say turn on the light or switch on the light. Light on! alone ❌ is not an order. You can use on to describe a state: the light is on.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: turn on
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Frequently asked questions
What does turn on mean?+
Turn on = to make a machine or a light start working, or to start the water (a tap). Turn on the light. It is a very common phrasal verb. The opposite is turn off.
Is turn on separable?+
Yes, it is separable. With a noun: turn on the light or turn the light on. With a pronoun: always turn it on ✓ (never turn on it).
What is the difference between turn on and switch on?+
They mean the same. Turn on is the most common everywhere. Switch on is used mostly in British English. For a machine with a switch, both are fine: Switch on the computer / Turn on the computer.
What does “turn someone on to something” mean?+
It means to make someone discover something and start to like it. My uncle turned me on to jazz = my uncle helped me to discover jazz. Be careful: without to + something, turn someone on has an adult meaning, so avoid it.
How do you say that the light is on?+
Say The light is on: this describes a state (it is already working). For the action, say Turn on the light. Action: turn on. State: be on.
Related phrasal verbs
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/turn-on
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.