An enterprising Australian man is selling the English word 'The' written on a piece of scrap paper on eBay - and the bidding has already reached a whopping AUD 10,099.

The man already has offers from 18 bidders who have made 44 bids - the highest till now being that of AUD 10,099 and there are still three days to go.

In his post, the seller "sweatyman" said: "I am selling the word 'The'.

Sweatyman lists the item as "a versatile word that can be used in literally thousands of sentences," the 'Metro' reported.

"Ideal for any situation, this fun-loving item fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, wallet, or purse," he said.

"Handwritten with blue ballpoint pen, on a torn piece of Reflex A4 paper, this versatile word can be used in literally thousands of sentences.

"For example: 'The dogs have escaped again'; 'I will buy some meat from the local deli.'; What's the time?'" he wrote on eBay.

The seven-day bidding began at 0.99 cents and the seller won't accept returns for the item.