Beside or Besides?

Beside is a preposition of location. It means “next to:”

  • There’s a nightclub beside our house, so it’s often really noisy.
  • I have a small table beside my bed.
  • The calculator is beside the notebook.
The calculator is beside the notebook. Image: Anusorn P nachol
The calculator is beside the notebook. (Image: Anusorn P nachol, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Besides means “in addition” or “apart from”:

  • What did you do on your vacation besides sleep?
  • Besides Sarah and Joanna, there were no women at the meeting.
  • I didn’t eat anything at the restaurant because I wasn’t hungry – and besides, I don’t like Italian food.

Clear up your doubts about confusing words… and use English more confidently!

600+ Confusing English Words Explained

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