In the English language, a single letter can completely transform the meaning of a sentence. Few word pairs demonstrate this as clearly as beside and besides. Separated by nothing more than the letter “s,” these two words look nearly identical, sound remarkably similar in fast speech, and trace their origins back to the exact same Old English root.
Yet, in modern standard English, they perform entirely different jobs. One describes physical location, while the other introduces additional information, exceptions, or arguments. Using the wrong word can create confusion or make otherwise professional writing appear unpolished.
Consider how the meaning changes in these two simple statements:
- “She sat beside the speaker.” (She took a seat physically next to the person speaking.)
- “She sat besides the speaker.” (In addition to the speaker sitting down, she sat down too—or she sat down apart from the speaker.)
If you have ever paused mid-sentence wondering whether that extra “s” belongs, you are not alone. This guide breaks down the exact differences between beside and besides, explains the grammatical mechanics behind each word, highlights common idioms, and provides foolproof memory tricks so you can write with complete confidence.
Quick Answer
The choice between beside and besides comes down to whether you are talking about location or addition:
- Beside (without an “s”) means next to, at the side of, or adjacent to. It describes physical location or spatial positioning.
- Besides (with an “s”) means in addition to, as well as, except for, or moreover. It adds extra items, ideas, or arguments.
Beside = Spatial Position --> "Next to" / "By the side of"
Besides = Added Information --> "In addition to" / "Furthermore"
A quick mental trick to keep them straight: Besides has an extra “s”, which stands for “supplement” or “something extra.” When you want to add something extra to your sentence, reach for the word with the extra “s.”
Why People Confuse Them
Understanding why beside and besides cause so much confusion makes it much easier to avoid the trap altogether. The overlap stems from three primary factors: shared etymology, auditory blending, and historical language shifts.
1. Etymological Siblinghood
Both words originate from the Old English phrase be sidan, which literally translated to “by the side.” In early medieval English, there was only one primary word used to describe physical closeness. Over time, speakers began adding an adverbial genitive ending (the letter “s”) to create a secondary word that signaled additional thoughts or side notes. Because both words share the same linguistic parent, their spellings remain almost identical.
2. Auditory Blending in Casual Speech
In everyday spoken American English, people often slur the ending of words. When someone says “stand beside me” quickly, the terminal “d” sound can easily blur into an “s” sound in the listener’s ear. This spoken ambiguity leads many writers to treat the two forms as interchangeable variants rather than distinct words with specific rules.
3. Historical Literature Overlap
If you read classic English literature, Shakespearean plays, or the King James Bible, you may occasionally see “beside” used where modern writers would use “besides” (for instance, “beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed”). Centuries ago, the boundary between the two words was far more fluid. However, modern grammar has strictly separated their roles. What was acceptable in 1611 is considered a grammatical error in contemporary prose.
Key Differences At A Glance
To help you decide which word fits your sentence instantly, review these side-by-side comparison tables.
Context Comparison
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
| Describing physical location or proximity | beside | Means “next to” or “at the side of” |
| Adding an extra item or person to a list | besides | Means “in addition to” or “as well as” |
| Expressing an exception or exclusion | besides | Means “other than” or “except for” |
| Starting a sentence to introduce another point | besides | Functions as a linking adverb meaning “moreover” |
| Discussing fixed idioms like “the point” or “oneself” | beside | Idiomatic expressions strictly require the locative form |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beside | besides |
| Primary Part of Speech | Preposition | Preposition and Conjunctive Adverb |
| Core Meaning | At the side of; adjacent to | In addition to; moreover; except |
| Synonym Test | Replaceable with “next to” | Replaceable with “in addition to” or “furthermore” |
| Physical Space Role | Indicates physical positioning | Does not indicate physical positioning |
| Sentence-Initial Use | Rare (only in spatial introductory phrases) | Common (used as a transition word followed by a comma) |
| Plural/Singular Impact | The absence of “s” is structural, not plural | The “s” is an essential part of the word, not a plural marker |
Meaning and Usage Difference
While both terms belong to the broader family of prepositions and connectors, their functional mechanics in a sentence differ significantly.
Spatial Location: [ Object A ] <-- beside --> [ Object B ]
Additive Thought: [ Point A ] + besides + [ Point B ]
Understanding “Beside”
Beside functions almost exclusively as a preposition of place. It tells the reader where a person, object, or concept is physically situated in relation to something else.
1. Physical Location and Proximity
When you use beside, you are placing two things side by side in physical space.
- “He sat beside his daughter during the graduation ceremony.”
- “Place the nightstand beside the bed.”
- “A quiet stream flows beside the old farmhouse.”
In each of these sentences, you can seamlessly substitute “next to” or “alongside” without changing the meaning.
2. Figurative and Idiomatic Uses
Beyond physical proximity, beside appears in two major English idioms that carry specific figurative meanings:
- Beside the point: Means irrelevant, off-topic, or unimportant to the matter at hand.”Whether he intended to break the vase is beside the point; the vase is still broken.”
- Beside oneself: Means overwhelmed or overcome by intense emotion (such as grief, anger, or joy).”When the family heard the good news, they were beside themselves with joy.”
In both idioms, using “besides” is grammatically incorrect. “Besides the point” and “besides oneself” are recognized errors.
Understanding “Besides”
Besides is far more versatile grammatically than its spatial cousin. It can function as both a preposition and a conjunctive adverb, depending on how it is positioned within a sentence.
1. “Besides” as a Preposition (Meaning “In Addition To” or “Except”)
When acting as a preposition, besides introduces an additional element to a group, or sets an exception apart from everything else.
- Meaning “In addition to”:“Besides the salary, the job offer includes health insurance and stock options.”(In addition to the salary, there are extra benefits.)
- Meaning “Except for” or “Other than”:“Is anyone else attending the workshop besides Marcus?”(Other than Marcus, who else will be there?)
2. “Besides” as an Adverb (Meaning “Moreover” or “Furthermore”)
When acting as a conjunctive adverb, besides connects two independent clauses or introduces a fresh, supporting argument. In this role, it usually appears at the beginning of a sentence or clause and is followed immediately by a comma.
- “I don’t really want to go to the movies tonight; besides, I have an early meeting tomorrow.”
- “The project is already over budget. Besides, we haven’t received client approval yet.”
Here, besides adds weight to an existing statement by bringing in a new, persuasive reason.
Tone, Context, and Formality
Choosing between beside and besides—and selecting alternative phrasing—often depends on the formality of your writing environment.
Professional and Academic Writing
In formal business communications, research papers, and academic essays, beside is fully appropriate whenever you need to describe location or use formal idioms like “beside the point.”
However, using besides as a sentence-starting transition word can sometimes sound slightly conversational or informal to strict academic editors. While grammatically correct, besides carries a spoken, persuasive tone.
- Conversational / Informal: “We shouldn’t sign the contract yet. Besides, the terms are unfair.”
- Formal / Academic Alternative: “We should not execute the contract at this time. Furthermore, the proposed terms are equitable to neither party.”
- Formal / Academic Alternative: “We should not execute the contract at this time. In addition, the proposed terms present significant risk.”
When writing formal reports or academic papers, consider replacing transitional “besides” with furthermore, moreover, or in addition.
Regional Dialects and Redundancies
In casual spoken English across certain regions of the United States, speakers sometimes add unnecessary prepositions to these terms, creating redundant phrases:
- Non-Standard: “She sat down beside of her friend.”
- Standard: “She sat down beside her friend.”
- Non-Standard: “Who is coming besides from you?”
- Standard: “Who is coming besides you?”
Always drop “of” or “from” when pairing them with beside or besides. The extra prepositions add clutter without adding meaning.
Which One Should You Use?
When you are drafting an email, essay, or story, use these simple diagnostic tests to choose the right word in seconds.
Is the word describing physical location?
/ \
/ \
YES NO
/ \
Use "BESIDE" Is it adding extra info or arguments?
(e.g., next to) / \
/ \
YES NO
/ \
Use "BESIDES" Check idioms!
(e.g., in addition to) ("beside the point")
Test 1: The “Next To” Substitution Test
Try replacing the word in your sentence with “next to.”
- Sentence: “Please set the package [beside / besides] the front door.”
- Test: “Please set the package next to the front door.”
- Result: The substitution makes complete sense. Choose beside.
Test 2: The “In Addition To” Substitution Test
Try replacing the word in your sentence with “in addition to” or “as well as.”
- Sentence: “[Beside / Besides] managing the accounts, she handles customer service.”
- Test: “In addition to managing the accounts, she handles customer service.”
- Result: The substitution makes complete sense. Choose besides.
Test 3: The “Plus S” Memory Trick
When you need to choose, look at the spelling:
- Beside = 6 letters (Shorter word, simple location)
- Besides = 7 letters (Has an Extra S)
Think of that Extra S as standing for:
- Supplement
- Something extra
- Secondary point
If your sentence is adding Something extra, you need Besides.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
To train your ear to catch errors, examine these examples where swapping the two words creates jarring, ungrammatical sentences.
Incorrect Spatial Placement
Incorrect: “He placed his laptop besides his morning coffee.”
Why it fails: “Besides” means “in addition to” or “moreover.” The sentence is trying to describe where the laptop was physically located relative to the coffee cup, not stating that the laptop was an additional item in a conceptual list.
Correct: “He placed his laptop beside his morning coffee.”
Incorrect Additive Phrase
Incorrect: “Beside English, she speaks fluent Spanish and French.”
Why it fails: “Beside” means “next to.” The sentence does not mean that Spanish and French sit physically adjacent to the English language; it means she speaks Spanish and French in addition to English.
Correct: “Besides English, she speaks fluent Spanish and French.”
Mismatched Transitional Adverb
Incorrect: “The car is too expensive. Beside, it gets terrible gas mileage.”
Why it fails: “Beside” cannot function as a conjunctive adverb to link two thoughts or introduce a supporting reason. Only “besides” can perform this role.
Correct: “The car is too expensive. Besides, it gets terrible gas mileage.”
Corrupted Idiom
Incorrect: “His personal opinion on the matter is besides the point.”
Why it fails: The established English idiom meaning “irrelevant” is strictly “beside the point.” Adding the “s” violates the fixed phrasing of the idiom.
Correct: “His personal opinion on the matter is beside the point.”
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
Review these common writing slips and their instant corrections to ensure your prose remains flawless.
1. Misusing “Beside” for Listing Items
- Wrong: “Who else was at the meeting beside Sarah?”
- Right: “Who else was at the meeting besides Sarah?”
- Why: You are asking who attended in addition to Sarah, requiring the additive form.
2. Using “Besides” for Spatial Placement
- Wrong: “Stand besides me while we take the photo.”
- Right: “Stand beside me while we take the photo.”
- Why: The sentence describes physical positioning, requiring the locative form.
3. Adding Unnecessary Prepositions (“Beside Of”)
- Wrong: “The dog slept beside of the fireplace.”
- Right: “The dog slept beside the fireplace.”
- Why: “Beside” is already a complete preposition. Adding “of” is redundant.
4. Forgetting the Comma with Transitional “Besides”
- Wrong: “I don’t feel like going out. Besides I have homework.”
- Right: “I don’t feel like going out. Besides, I have homework.”
- Why: When “besides” acts as an introductory adverb linking two independent thoughts, it must be followed by a comma.
Everyday Examples
Here is how beside and besides appear across everyday real-world contexts, including professional emails, academic papers, creative writing, and casual conversation.
Workplace & Business Emails
- “Please leave the signed contract on the desk beside the printer.”
- “Besides reviewing the quarterly budget, we need to finalize the hiring plan for Q3.”
- “We don’t have the budget to hire a new agency right now. Besides, our internal team can handle the campaign.”
Academic & Professional Prose
- “The primary research facility was constructed beside the university’s main science library.”
- “Besides the environmental impacts, the economic consequences of the policy must be evaluated.”
- “Arguments regarding past management decisions are beside the point during this restructuring phase.”
Creative Writing & Literature
- “She stood beside the ancient oak tree, watching the sun dip below the horizon.”
- “There was no sound in the abandoned house besides the faint dripping of a leaky faucet.”
- “Upon hearing that her art piece had won first place, she was beside herself with excitement.”
Casual Conversation
- “Come sit beside me on the couch so we can look at these photos together.”
- “What do you like to do on the weekends besides playing soccer?”
- “I don’t want to go to that restaurant tonight; it’s too noisy, and besides, it’s raining.”
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
beside
- Status: Not a verb. “Beside” cannot be conjugated or express an action.
besides
- Status: Not a verb. “Besides” cannot be conjugated or express an action.
Noun
beside
- Status: Not a noun. “Beside” does not represent a person, place, thing, or idea.
besides
- Status: Not a noun. “Besides” does not represent a person, place, thing, or idea.
Synonyms
beside
- Exact Spatial Synonyms: Next to, adjacent to, alongside, by the side of, bordering, leaning against.
- Figurative Alternatives: Irrelevant to (when used in “beside the point”), overwhelmed by (when used in “beside oneself”).
besides
- Prepositional Synonyms: In addition to, as well as, apart from, other than, aside from, over and above.
- Adverbial Synonyms: Furthermore, moreover, also, additionally, what’s more, on top of that.
Example Sentences
beside
- “The guard stood silently beside the entrance to the vault.”
- “Her personal feelings were beside the point during the official investigation.”
- “He built a small wooden bench beside the garden pond.”
- “The family was beside themselves with worry when their dog ran away during the storm.”
besides
- “Besides her degree in computer science, she holds a certificate in project management.”
- “Is there any other topic we need to discuss today besides the upcoming launch?”
- “I don’t feel like driving two hours in heavy traffic; besides, the event is already sold out.”
- “No one besides the security guard has a key to the building after hours.”
Word History
beside
“Beside” evolved from the Old English prepositional phrase be sidan, which combined be (meaning “by”) and sidan (the dative singular form of side, meaning “side”). In early West Saxon texts, it literally meant “located at the physical edge or boundary of something.” Over the centuries, the two words merged into a single compound preposition.
besides
“Besides” originated during the Middle English period (around the 12th century) by taking the word beside and appending the adverbial genitive suffix -s. In Middle English grammar, adding -s to a preposition or noun was a standard way to create an adverb indicating direction, manner, or state (a pattern also seen in words like always, towards, and outwards). This grammatical addition allowed English speakers to differentiate between standing physically by the side of something (“beside”) and offering a thought from the side or in addition (“besides”).
Phrases Containing
beside
- Beside the point: Off-topic, irrelevant, or inconsequential to the primary subject under discussion.
- Beside oneself: In a state of extreme emotional distress, anger, grief, or excitement.
- Stand beside: To support, defend, or remain loyal to a person during a challenging situation.
besides
- Besides that: In addition to the item or fact just mentioned; furthermore.
- Who else besides: A question used to inquire about additional people or entities in a group.
- Nothing besides: Expressing that no other items or factors exist beyond what was stated.
FAQ
Is besides an adverb or a preposition?
Besides can function as both an adverb and a preposition. When it means “in addition to” or “except for” and is followed by a noun or pronoun (e.g., “besides coffee”), it acts as a preposition. When it introduces a new clause or argument meaning “moreover” or “furthermore” (e.g., “Besides, it’s too late”), it acts as a conjunctive adverb.
Can you start a sentence with “besides”?
Yes, you can start a sentence with besides in two ways. As a preposition introducing a phrase: “Besides accounting, he manages operations.” As a conjunctive adverb introducing a supporting point: “Besides, we don’t have enough time.” When used as a transitional adverb at the start of a sentence, always follow it with a comma.
What does “beside the point” mean?
“Beside the point” is a common English idiom meaning that something is irrelevant, unimportant, or off-topic relative to the main issue being discussed. For example: “Where you bought the ticket is beside the point; the concert has already been canceled.”
What does “beside oneself” mean?
“Beside oneself” means to be consumed or overwhelmed by an intense emotion, such as grief, anger, panic, or extreme happiness. For example: “She was beside herself with grief after hearing the sad news.”
Is “beside of” grammatically correct?
No. “Beside of” is considered non-standard and redundant in formal English. The word “beside” is already a complete preposition that means “at the side of.” Simply drop “of” and say “beside” (e.g., “Sit beside me,” not “Sit beside of me”).
Can “beside” ever mean “in addition to” in modern English?
In modern standard English, no. While older historical texts occasionally used “beside” to mean “in addition to,” contemporary English strict style guides reserve “beside” exclusively for physical proximity (“next to”) and fixed idioms, while reserving “besides” for addition and exception.
Conclusion
Mastering the difference between beside vs besides is straightforward once you focus on the function of that single extra letter. Whenever you are describing physical space, location, or proximity, choose beside—you are placing things side by side. Whenever you are adding extra information, listing additional items, making an exception, or offering a supporting argument, choose besides.
By remembering that the extra “s” in besides stands for “supplement” or “something extra,” you can easily select the correct word every time, ensuring your writing remains polished, precise, and professional.
