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Above Vs Over


Both above and over can be used to mean 'higher than'. 

Examples: 

Can you see the helicopter above the Angkor Wat temple?

The water came up above or over our knees.


When the meaning is 'covering' or 'crossing', over is usually used. 

Examples: 

The plane was flying over Thailand.

Electricity cables stretch over the rice fields...

There is thick cloud over the Tonle Sap lake...


With numbers and expressions of quantity or measurement, using 'over (= more than)' is more common. 

Examples: 

There were 30,000 people at the Sangkran Angkor...

You must be 18 to see this movie...

However, above is used when we think about measurement on a vertical (up & down) scale. 

Examples: 

The temperature is 5 degrees above 0. 

S/he is well above average (= the middle of the scale) in intelligence...

Hights of land are given above sea-level. Compare the use of above and over in the following example: The Kirirom National Park is 700 meters above sea level (= more than 700 metres higher than sea level). 


Note in a book or a paper, 'see over' means 'look on the next page', 'see above' means 'look at something written before'...


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