Beside vs. Besides
“Beside” is a preposition meaning next to or at the side of. “Besides” most often means in addition to and can function as a preposition or linking adverb. The extra -s therefore marks a real meaning and grammar difference, not a spelling variant.
Use “beside” for “next to”: “Sit beside me.” Use “besides” for “in addition to” or “also”: “Besides tea, we served coffee” or “Besides, we were late.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| physical position next to something | beside + noun phrase | use “beside” |
| addition: in addition to something | besides + noun phrase | use prepositional “besides” |
| linking idea: also/furthermore | Besides, + clause | use adverbial “besides” |
Quick tests
Meaning-and-role test
Do you mean “next to,” or “in addition/also”?
If yes: For physical “next to,” use “beside.”
If no: For addition or “also,” use “besides.”
Caveat: In the physical sense, “beside” can sound more formal than “next to”; that register note does not change the core distinction.
Examples
She placed the folder beside the laptop.
“Beside” expresses physical position.
Besides the fee, there is a delivery charge.
“Besides” means “in addition to.”
Besides, we already have a backup copy.
Here “besides” is a linking adverb meaning “also/furthermore.”
She sat beside the window.
Beside is spatial “next to”; besides is additive “in addition to.”
Besides the fee, there are taxes.
Beside is spatial “next to”; besides is additive “in addition to.”
Further guidance
Beside
Cambridge describes beside as a preposition meaning next to or at the side of someone or something.
Besides
Besides can be a preposition meaning in addition to, or a linking adverb meaning also/furthermore.
Register note
Cambridge notes that beside in the physical “next to” sense can sound relatively formal compared with alternatives such as next to.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Beside or besides? (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary Grammar · Beside/besides meaning and grammatical-role distinction