Differences bewteen below, under and underneath

[PSAJ]

Hello,

I am wondering about the differences of three words : Below, Under, and Underneath. Atfer thinking about sentences where I have met these words, I have come to the following ideas :

I tend to consider "Under" as a generic term, usable in most situations.

My feeling is that "Below" is used when the covering item is considered as a surface (as opposed to a volume) : example Below the sea (i.e. below its surface, in the sea)

And "Underneath" would refer rather to the notion of volume : The tunel underneath the Chanel (i.e. under the Chanel considered as volume, and below its bottom)

Could a native english speaker confirm or infirm thsese statements or add some further comments ?

Thanks and regards,

Patrice

[ANTHOS]

I'll have a think when i have time.

Of course, for native English speakers, it's a question of "instinct".

[ANTHOS]

(I haven't really thought about it properly but here are some initial comments.)

Under and below are both generic I feel, but perhaps under is used more frequently in a figurative sense, e.g. I word under Mr Smith = je suis sous l'autorité de M Smith. (Or maybe this is just due to the fact that's it's used more often than below.)

I don't think "Below" is used more often when the covering item is considered as a surface .

It seems to me that "Underneath" is more suitable when the two objects are in contact with each other.

Also, I would personally say "the tunnel under the Channel", "below sea level", "under the sea bed"

Hope this helps...

[nsantora]

as a native of english, here are a few key points to keep in mind when using "underneath, under, below", etc.

all three are often used interchangeably. I would say under is the most commonly used to express any sort of idea.
ej: "What is under/underneath/below the table?"
"Under what name are you dinner reservations?"
(remember: under is the only word used when categorizing, and often used in the phrase to fall under. also, in English we love to end sentences in prepositions even though it's incorrect. People will understand you either way, and if you do end with a preposition no one will notice the difference. It would be more common to hear/say "What name does it fall under?")

Underneath and Below both exclusively refer to physical location, however underneath is used more commonly. Distance doesn't really matter in this instance; both may be used and the differences are practically indistinguishable.

"What is that underneath the table?"
"The answer to the question is right below the first paragraph." --Once again, all three could have been used in these situations. They are interchangeable, with under being the most commonly used and the most widely used as well.

Espero que le ayude y si tenga alguna pregunta, por favor dígame o refiera atrás a los foros:)