These two words look almost the same, and the only difference is one letter. But they do different jobs.
- Beside is about place. It means next to.
- Besides is about adding. It means also, or apart from.
Beside: next to
Use beside when one thing is next to another.
Sit beside me on the bus.
The dog slept beside the fire.
Mia stood beside her best friend in the photo.
The lamp is beside the bed.
It also appears in a few fixed phrases:
- beside the point: not important for the subject. That's beside the point.
- beside yourself: so upset or excited that you can't stay calm. She was beside herself with joy.
Besides: also, or apart from
Use besides when you are adding something, or leaving something out.
Besides football, I like swimming. (football, and also swimming)
Who came besides Leo? (other than Leo)
I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining. (and also, it's raining)
Nobody knew the answer besides Mia. (apart from Mia)
When besides stands alone at the start of a sentence, as in Besides, it's raining, it adds one more reason.
Easy way to tell them apart
Try to replace the word:
- Can you say next to? Use beside. Sit next to me = Sit beside me.
- Can you say also or apart from? Use besides. Also football = Besides football.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Besides has an extra S, for an extra thing.
When you add more, you add a letter. Beside (no S) is just a place. Besides (with S) is something more.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Place or extra?
❌ Sit besides me.
✅ Sit beside me.
Adding something.
❌ Beside pizza, I love pasta.
✅ Besides pizza, I love pasta.
Don't mix the phrases.
❌ That is besides the point.
✅ That is beside the point.
Good to know
Some dictionaries list beside as a rarer way to say besides. Today it is clearer to keep the two apart.
💬 In a conversation
Sam: Who sat beside you at lunch?
Mia: Leo.
Sam: Who else, besides Leo?
Mia: Nobody. Besides, he had all the chips.
Sam: So you sat beside him and got none?
Mia: Beside the point.