Many English learners confuse “beside” and “besides” because the words look and sound similar. However, they have different meanings and are used in different situations.
👉 The simple answer is:
- Beside = next to or at the side of
- Besides = in addition to or apart from
👉 For example:
- She sat beside me on the bus. ✔️
- Besides English, he also speaks French. ✔️
Using the correct word will make your writing clearer and more accurate.
What Does “Beside” Mean?
Beside is a preposition.
👉 It means:
- Next to
- At the side of
Examples:
- She sat beside her friend.
- The lamp is beside the bed.
- He stood beside the door.
- Our house is beside the river.
What Does “Besides” Mean?
Besides is a preposition or an adverb.
👉 It means:
- In addition to
- Apart from
- Also
Examples:
- Besides math, I enjoy science.
- Who else is coming besides John?
- I don’t want to go. Besides, I’m too busy.
- Besides English, she speaks Spanish.
Beside vs Besides (Quick Comparison)
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Beside | Preposition | Next to or at the side of |
| Besides | Preposition / Adverb | In addition to, apart from, or also |
👉 Important:
- Beside = location
- Besides = addition
Sentence Examples
Using “Beside”
- Please sit beside me.
- The cat is sleeping beside the sofa.
- He parked beside the school.
Using “Besides”
- Besides football, she enjoys tennis.
- Besides Sarah, everyone attended.
- I’m not going. Besides, it’s too late.
Common Mistakes
❌ Besides me, please.
✔️ Sit beside me, please.
❌ Beside English, he studies history.
✔️ Besides English, he studies history.
👉 Remember:
- Talking about position → beside
- Talking about adding something → besides
Practice Time
Fill in the blanks:
- Please sit ______ me.
- The car is parked ______ the house.
- ______ reading, she enjoys painting.
- Who else came ______ Alex?
- I don’t want to leave. ______, it’s raining.
Answers:
- beside
- beside
- Besides
- besides
- Besides
Easy Memory Trick
👉 Think like this:
- Beside = Side
If something is at your side, use beside. - Besides = Plus
The extra “s” reminds you of something extra or in addition.
✔️ beside = next to
✔️ besides = also, in addition
Final Thought
Although beside and besides differ by only one letter, they have different meanings. Beside refers to a location and means “next to,” while besides means “in addition to” or “also.” Remember that the extra s in besides can remind you of something extra. Using the correct word will make your English more natural and grammatically accurate.
