Key Difference: Today, we will learn the difference between beside and besides in the English language with proper explanations. And how/when/where to use them while talking with others. The term “Beside” refers to something that is next to or near. Whereas, besides refers to other than or apart from something. Let’s get into this article and see the contradictions between them.
Beside: Book shop is beside the coffee shop.
Besides: She has many good qualities besides being very beautiful.
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Beside:
Represent something that is next to.
The term “beside” refers to something that is next to or near. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. The queen stood beside the king. From this statement, we might understand that the queen was standing next to the kind. Here we come up with another example for your reference. He wants to sit beside her. From this sentence, we might understand that someone wants to sit beside her.
How Do We Spell the Word Beside?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Beside is bɪˈsʌɪd. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Beside” by syllables.
- The word “Beside” has two syllables.
- It can be divided into “Be-side.”
Using “Beside” in sentences:
- He sat beside her.
- Come and sit here beside me.
- She skipped happily along beside me.
- The keys hung on the wall beside the door.
- Riya stands beside an apple tree.
Besides:
Moreover or furthermore.
The word “Besides” refers to other than or apart from. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. There will be five of us for dinner, besides Jack. From this sentence, we might understand that some people are ready for dinner except jack. Here we come up with another example for your reference. Besides working as a doctor, he also writes novels in his spare time. From this sentence, we might understand that someone is a doctor and also write novels in his free time.
How Do We Spell the Word Besides?
Phonetics pronunciation of the word Besides is bɪˈsʌɪdz. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllables are phonological building blocks of words. It divides the words into parts that can help you read words more accurately. Let’s see how to split the word “Besides” using syllables. Learning syllables can also help you to spell words correctly.
- The word “Besides” has two syllables.
- It can be divided into “Be-sides.”
Using “Besides” in sentences:
- Besides milk and eggs, we need vegetables.
- Besides a father, Clara has a younger brother to support.
- There will be five of us for dinner, besides John.
- Besides, she’s a lot calmer nowadays.
- There is no one here besides Enid and me.
Compare: Beside and Besides
This table will show the contradiction between the words’ Beside and Besides.
| Beside | Besides | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Represent something that is next to. | It refers to Moreover or furthermore. |
| Synonyms | alongside, by the side of, next to, parallel to | Other than, apart from, except, furthermore |
| Antonyms | Away, separate, disconnected, apart | omitting, not including |
| Etymology | Old English be sīdan (adverb) ‘by the side’ (see by, side). | Etymology. From Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”), equivalent to be- + side. Compare Saterland Frisian biesiede (“aside”), German Low German bisied (“aside”), German beiseite (“aside, to one side”). |
| Examples | She is walking beside the pool. He sat beside her on the couch. Set the baby beside his mother. She walked beside him. | I dislike fishing. Besides, I don’t own a boat. Besides being laborious, my sister is intelligent. She speaks three languages besides Spanish. There was no one there besides me. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Cambridge Dictionary (Beside, Besides), Merriam-Webster (Beside, Besides), Collins Dictionary (Beside, Besides), Dictionary.com (Beside, Besides)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2], CollinsDictionary.com[3], Dictionary.com[4].