Distinction between transpiration and other sources for the evaporation of liquid water from vegetated land surfaces is important for understanding the control mechanisms of evaporation, for plant physiological interpretation, and for testing hydrological models. A number of approaches to partition eddy covariance total evaporation measurements into transpiration and other water vapour fluxes have recently been published. This review gives a timely overview over current partitioning approaches, examines where these approaches were applied and how results comply with independent information. Important conclusions on the robustness of the approaches in relation to the ecosystem types are provided, which is an excellent basis for choosing between existing approaches and for new developments.