Micro-listening
Beside or besides: position and addition
Can I ever use beside to mean also or in addition?
Beside functions as a preposition of place meaning next to or at the side of. Besides works either as a preposition meaning in addition to, or as a transitional adverb meaning moreover or also.
Key points
- Ask yourself whether your sentence answers where or what else.
- If it answers where, choose beside.
- If it answers what else, choose besides.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
Examples
Hannah placed her coffee cup beside the keyboard.
Why it works: Hannah put the cup next to the keyboard, so beside marks physical location.
2 more examples
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Besides the budget spreadsheet, please email the project timeline.
Besides introduces the timeline as an additional requested document.
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The color of the train is beside the point; we need to know when it leaves.
Beside the point means irrelevant to the issue. Here, the train color does not answer the departure-time question.
Read the full guide
Identify when a sentence describes physical location
When you want to describe where someone or something is situated, choose beside. This word is a preposition of place that means next to or at the side of. It answers the question where. In everyday conversation, native speakers use beside to locate furniture, buildings, or colleagues in an office. Notice that beside never adds an s when describing location.
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Marcus set his coffee mug beside the laptop.
Why it works: Marcus placed the mug next to the laptop, so beside indicates physical position.
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An extra office chair stood beside the filing cabinet.
Why it works: The chair is located right next to the cabinet, which is a physical place.
Your turn
Which word completes this sentence about position: 'The printer sits [...] the window'?
Answer: beside
Show the answer
Answer: beside
The printer has a physical position next to the window, so beside is the correct preposition of place.
Choose besides to add another item or person
When your goal is to introduce an extra person, item, or topic, choose besides with a final s. Here, the word means in addition to or apart from. It does not indicate physical distance or location. You can use besides at the beginning of a sentence or before a noun phrase to show that more items belong to the same group.
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Besides salads, the canteen serves warm soup on cold afternoons.
Why it works: Besides introduces soup as an extra food choice in addition to salads.
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Besides Elena, two new assistants joined the morning shift.
Why it works: Elena is one person who joined, and two other assistants joined as well.
You can practise this again in Beside, Besides, or Except: Choose the Right Word and Forming Adverbs from Adjectives: Rules and Word Position.
Your turn
Which word best completes the sentence: '[...] the main report, we need the financial summary'?
Answer: Besides
Show the answer
Answer: Besides
The speaker is adding the financial summary to the report, not describing where it sits in a room.
Check the meaning when a noun phrase follows
Because both words can sit directly before a noun phrase, you cannot rely on grammar patterns alone to pick the right one. You must look at the message behind the phrase. Beside the lamp tells the listener where an object sits. Besides the lamp tells the listener that another piece of furniture or equipment is being considered.
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Put the spare folders beside the printer.
Why it works: Here, beside the printer specifies the exact physical spot for the folders.
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Besides the printer, our team ordered three monitors.
Why it works: Here, besides the printer indicates an additional piece of equipment ordered by the team.
Your turn
In the sentence 'Keep the notebook beside the phone', what does the phrase indicate?
Answer: A physical location next to the phone
Show the answer
Answer: A physical location next to the phone
The notebook is placed next to the phone, which makes beside the phone a location phrase.
Use besides to introduce an additional reason
Besides can also function as a sentence connector meaning moreover or also. In this role, speakers use it to present an additional supporting reason or argument. When you write besides at the start of an independent clause or after a semicolon, place a comma right after it to guide the reader through your train of thought.
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I do not want to walk in the heavy rain; besides, the bus stop is quite near.
Why it works: Besides adds a second supporting reason for not walking in the rain.
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The museum ticket is cheap; besides, students receive free entry on Fridays.
Why it works: The second clause adds another favorable fact to strengthen the point.
Your turn
Choose the correct sentence that introduces an extra reason:
Answer: We stayed home; besides, the roads were icy.
Show the answer
Answer: We stayed home; besides, the roads were icy.
Besides introduces an extra reason or point, whereas beside only refers to physical proximity.
Hear the final z sound in spoken English
In fast spoken English, the difference between these two words comes down to the final consonant sound. Beside ends with a clean /d/ sound, whereas besides ends with a voiced /z/ sound. Before a word beginning with a vowel, that final /z/ connects directly to the next syllable, creating a distinct auditory signal that addition is taking place.
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He walked beside us through the botanical garden.
Why it works: Beside ends with /d/, which links smoothly into the vowel sound of us.
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Besides apples, the market stall sells sweet oranges.
Why it works: Besides ends with a voiced /z/ sound that signals the addition meaning.
Your turn
What phonetic difference marks the word that means in addition to?
Answer: It ends with a voiced /z/ sound.
Show the answer
Answer: It ends with a voiced /z/ sound.
Besides ends with a voiced /z/ sound after the /d/, distinguishing it clearly from beside.
Recognize the fixed idiom beside the point
English contains a common fixed idiom: beside the point. This phrase means irrelevant or not pertinent to the current matter. Even though this expression does not describe a physical location, it strictly uses beside without an s. Saying besides the point is a recognized error in formal and professional English that you should avoid.
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The cost of the old model is beside the point because we need modern software.
Why it works: Beside the point means the old cost is not relevant to the current software decision.
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His personal preference is beside the point during an emergency drill.
Why it works: The preference is irrelevant to the standard safety procedures.
Your turn
Which phrase correctly expresses that a detail is not relevant?
Answer: That remark is beside the point.
Show the answer
Answer: That remark is beside the point.
The established English idiom is beside the point, which never adds the final letter s.
Avoid dropping or adding the final s in writing
Learners frequently make two symmetrical mistakes with these twin words. Some writers mistakenly drop the s when introducing an added item, writing beside coffee instead of besides coffee. Other writers mistakenly add an s when giving directions, writing sit besides me. To keep your writing accurate, review whether you are expressing physical proximity or conceptual addition.
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Incorrect: Besides the reception desk, you will find visitor badges.
Why it works: If badges sit physically next to the desk, write beside the reception desk.
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Incorrect: Beside English, our receptionist speaks fluent French.
Why it works: To add a second language ability, write besides English.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly indicates a seating location?
Answer: Sit beside the manager during the review.
Show the answer
Answer: Sit beside the manager during the review.
Use beside directly before the person you are sitting next to without adding s or to.
Apply a quick substitution check before you write
Try replacing the word with next to. If that keeps your meaning, choose beside. If you mean in addition to or also, choose besides. Remember the fixed phrase beside the point, which means irrelevant.
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The water bottle stands beside the keyboard.
Why it works: You can test this by saying next to the keyboard, confirming beside.
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Besides coffee, we ordered two bottles of sparkling mineral water.
Why it works: You can test this by saying in addition to coffee, confirming besides.
Your turn
If you can replace the word with 'in addition to', which spelling should you choose?
Answer: besides
Show the answer
Answer: besides
When the meaning is in addition to, the correct word is always besides with a final s.
Questions about "Beside or besides: position and addition"
Can I ever use beside to mean also or in addition?
Use besides for the meaning also or in addition to. Beside usually means next to, but it also appears in fixed expressions such as beside the point. In your own everyday writing, keep the final s when you mean adding something.
Besides Spanish, Lucas studies Portuguese every evening.
Incorrect: Beside Spanish, Lucas studies Portuguese every evening.
Is it ever correct to say besides the point instead of beside the point?
Standard English only recognizes beside the point. Although people sometimes mistakenly say besides the point because they think of addition, the established idiom uses beside. It historically conveys being off to the side of the main target, hence irrelevant.
The original color of the car is beside the point because the engine needs repair.
Can besides start a sentence when giving an extra reason?
Yes. Besides often starts a sentence or clause when introducing a second point or reason. When used this way as a transitional linking word, it is followed by a comma in writing and a natural pause in speech.
We decided not to purchase the printer; besides, our current machine works reliably.
How can I tell beside and besides apart when native speakers talk fast?
Listen for the voiced /z/ sound at the end of besides. Before a vowel sound, that /z/ links forward clearly, as in besides us. In addition, when besides introduces a reason, speakers usually place a brief pause right after it.
He stood beside us during the award ceremony.
Besides us, three other visitors arrived early.
Before you go
Remember this
Ask yourself whether your sentence answers where or what else. If it answers where, choose beside. If it answers what else, choose besides. For the idiom meaning irrelevant, remember the fixed phrase beside the point.
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Describe your current study or work area, naming an item placed beside your computer and two other tools you need besides your keyboard.
Use: beside or besides: position and addition
You could start with “Right beside my laptop, I keep…”
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- I used “beside or besides: position and addition”.
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