One letter apart, but one indicates location and the other means 'in addition'.
"Beside" means next to, physically close to something or someone. "Sit beside me" means sit next to me.
She sat beside me on the bus.
The school is beside the park.
He knelt beside the bed to pray.
"Besides" means in addition to, or furthermore. It adds extra information or introduces an additional argument. "Besides, it's too late now."
Besides English, she speaks French and Italian.
I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining.
What did you do besides watch TV?
Common mistake
Trick to remember it
Quick rule
Did you know?
"Beside the point" means irrelevant or off-topic: "That argument is beside the point." And "beside yourself" means overwhelmed with emotion: "She was beside herself with joy." Both fixed expressions use "beside" without S. "Besides" has two distinct grammatical roles: as a preposition ("besides coffee, I also drink tea") and as a conjunctive adverb ("I don't feel like going; besides, it's too expensive"). Same word, two grammatical lives.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Come and sit _____ me. There's plenty of space on the sofa.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
_____ Spanish, she speaks French and Japanese. She's incredibly talented.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
One is used with two elements, the other with three or more.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy