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Which one to use?Intermediateprepositionpreposition / adverb

besidevsbesides

One letter apart, but one indicates location and the other means 'in addition'.

Side-by-side comparison

beside
preposition

Preposition. Means 'next to' or 'by the side of'. Indicates physical position or closeness.

  • She sat beside me on the bus.

    Ella se sentó a mi lado en el autobús.

  • The school is beside the park.

    La escuela está al lado del parque.

  • He knelt beside the bed to pray.

    Él se arrodilló al lado de la cama para rezar.

besides
preposition / adverb

Preposition or adverb. Means 'in addition to', 'apart from', or 'furthermore'. It adds information.

  • Besides English, she speaks French and Italian.

    Además del inglés, ella habla francés e italiano.

  • I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining.

    No quiero ir. Además, está lloviendo.

  • What did you do besides watch TV?

    ¿Qué hiciste además de ver televisión?

Common mistake

Confusing them due to similar spelling. Wrong: "She sat besides me." when meaning physically next to. (correct: She sat beside me.)

Trick to remember it

'BesidE' (no final S) = physical position, next to. 'BesidesS' (with S) = in addition, furthermore. The extra 's' signals extra information.

Quick rule

Saying something is physically next to something? Use 'beside'. Adding information or saying 'in addition to'? Use 'besides'.

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' (no S), not 'besides'.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Pick the right one

She sat _____ her best friend during the ceremony.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

_____ English, she also speaks Portuguese and Japanese.

Exercise 3 · Form the word

"Beside" or "besides"? "I do not want to go to the party. _____, I have a headache." Write the correct word.

Hint: You are adding another reason, not describing a physical location.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use "beside" and when do I use "besides"?

Saying something is physically next to something? Use 'beside'. Adding information or saying 'in addition to'? Use 'besides'.

What is the most common mistake with "beside" and "besides"?

Confusing them due to similar spelling. Wrong: "She sat besides me." when meaning physically next to. (correct: She sat beside me.)

How do I remember the difference between "beside" and "besides"?

'BesidE' (no final S) = physical position, next to. 'BesidesS' (with S) = in addition, furthermore. The extra 's' signals extra information.

Related word pairs

betweenvsamong
BL

Bryan López

Founder of SpeakUP Academy

July 22, 2026

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