Confusable words

beside vs besides: what's the difference?

beside
preposition
vs
besides
preposition / adverb
? ?

Beside and besides differ by a single letter but mean genuinely different things, one about location and one about adding information.

Beside

preposition

Beside means next to, physically close to something.

  • She sat beside her best friend during the movie.
  • There's a small cafe beside the train station.

beside full definition →

Besides

preposition / adverb

Besides means in addition to, or apart from.

  • Besides English, she speaks three other languages.
  • Nobody besides you knew about the surprise.

besides full definition →

Side by side

beside besides
Meaning Physically next to In addition to, apart from
Type Preposition of place Preposition or adverb of addition
Simple test "beside the door" means next to the door "besides that" means in addition to that

Quick rule

Beside means physically next to. Besides means also, or in addition to. The extra S adds the meaning of "plus."

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