besides

The word “besides” means in addition to; apart from. In plain terms, adds extra information or a further reason, either as "in addition to X" or as a connecting word meaning "and another thing.".

“Besides” is pronounced bih-SYDZ (/bɪˈsaɪdz/ in IPA).

Here is “besides” used in a sentence: “Besides English, she speaks French and Italian.”

Words with a similar meaning to “besides” include on top of and save for.

Depending on how it is used, “besides” can be a preposition and an adverb.

The word “besides” comes from Middle English. An extension of "beside" with an adverbial "-s" ending, from Middle English bisides.

“Besides” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Besides” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in addition to; apart from.

Beside means next to or at the side of something, describing a physical position: sit beside me. Besides means in addition to or apart from: besides the cost, it's too far. The extra 's' signals addition, not location. Mixing them up is one of the most common spelling slips in English.

Yes. At the start of a sentence, besides works as an adverb meaning moreover or anyway, adding a further point: Besides, we can't afford it. As a preposition it means in addition to or apart from. Both uses are correct, though the sentence-opener feels slightly more informal and conversational.

Besides English, she speaks French and Japanese — here it means in addition to. It can also mean apart from: no one besides you knows the answer. The word always points to something extra or excluded, never to physical position, which is what beside handles.