Beside The Point Or Besides The Point? | Pick The Right One

You’ve seen it in emails, essays, comment threads, even subtitles: “That’s besides the point.” Some people swear it’s wrong. Others use it every day. So what’s going on?

This mix-up happens because beside and besides are close cousins. One is about position and comparison. The other is about addition and side notes. Add the fixed phrase “the point,” and you get a pair that feels interchangeable even when it’s not.

By the end of this piece, you’ll be able to choose the right phrase on the fly, spot the rare cases where “besides” can fit, and edit your writing so it reads clean and confident.

Why this mix-up keeps showing up

Most of the time, people learn “beside” and “besides” through reading, not through a chart of rules. Since both words share the same root and sit next to each other in meaning, your brain treats them like near-twins.

Then there’s the phrase “beside the point.” It’s idiomatic, so you can’t rebuild it from first principles each time. You either know it as a chunk, or you don’t.

One more wrinkle: in everyday speech, “besides” often works as a sentence-starter that adds a reason. That habit spills into writing, and “besides the point” starts to show up even when the writer means “not relevant.”

Beside The Point Or Besides The Point? A clear rule with a fast test

Here’s the clean rule most writers can stick to without trouble: use “beside the point” when you mean “not related to what we’re talking about.”

Use this quick test. Replace the phrase with “not relevant.” If the sentence still makes sense, “beside the point” is the fit.

How “beside the point” works in real sentences

“Beside the point” is a set expression. It tells the reader, “That detail isn’t the thing we’re trying to settle.”

• “Your grades last semester are beside the point; we’re talking about your plan for next term.”
• “Whether he meant it as a joke is beside the point; the remark hurt people.”
• “The color of the folder is beside the point; label it so we can find it.”

Notice the pattern. A detail is raised, then rejected as not connected to the main issue.

What “besides the point” is trying to say

“Besides” usually signals addition: “in addition to,” “as well,” “other than.” That meaning can drift into “besides the point” as “also not the point,” like piling one irrelevant detail on top of another.

That said, this phrasing can feel clunky on the page. Many editors swap it to “beside the point,” “not the point,” or “not relevant” to keep the line crisp.

If you read a lot of informal writing, you’ll still see “besides the point” used as a loose variant. In academic work, business writing, and most published prose, “beside the point” is the safer pick.

Beside vs. Besides in plain terms

It helps to separate the base words from the idiom.

When “beside” is the right word

Beside often means “next to.” It can also mean “compared with,” or “not relevant to,” which is the sense used in “beside the point.” Merriam-Webster lists that “not relevant to” meaning under “beside”.

Common patterns:

• Physical position: “Put the chair beside the desk.”
• Comparison: “That fee is minor beside the total cost.”
• Relevance: “That argument is beside the point.”

When “besides” is the right word

Besides often means “in addition to” or “as well.” It can add a side reason in a sentence. Cambridge’s grammar note on “beside or besides” spells out these uses and shows typical punctuation in writing.

Common patterns:

• In addition to: “Besides math, she’s taking chemistry.”
• As well: “There were snacks besides the sandwiches.”
• Adding a reason: “I won’t go; besides, I’m tired.”

Where writers go wrong with “the point”

The word “point” makes this tricky because it already carries “main idea” and “reason.” When you add “besides,” your sentence can start to sound like you’re stacking reasons, not rejecting a distraction.

Here’s the difference in feel:

• Beside the point: “That detail doesn’t connect to the topic.”
• Besides the point: “That detail is another thing that isn’t the topic.”

In conversation, that second line can pass without anyone blinking. On a page, it often reads like a near-miss.

Comma habits that pull “besides” into the wrong place

“Besides” often travels with a pause. In writing, that pause becomes a comma. You’ll see patterns like “…, besides, …” or “Besides, …” when someone adds a side reason.

That rhythm is fine when you’re adding a reason. It turns odd when you attach “the point” to it, since “the point” already signals the main thread of the talk.

Try these pairs. The first line uses “besides” as a connector. The second line uses the idiom about relevance.

• “I’m not going tonight; besides, I have work early.”
• “I’m not going tonight; that detail is beside the point.”

If your sentence needs the comma-pause connector, keep “besides” and drop “the point.” If your sentence needs the relevance idiom, keep “beside the point” and skip the connector feel.

Small meaning shifts that can change your choice

Sometimes you don’t mean “not relevant.” You mean “not the main issue,” which is close but not the same. That’s still a good fit for “beside the point,” since it signals the reader to stop chasing side details.

Other times you mean “there’s more going on than this.” In that case, “besides” can work, yet the cleanest move is to write the extra point directly.

• “That’s not the only issue.”
• “There’s another reason.”
• “We’ve got two problems here.”

Those options keep your meaning plain and stop the sentence from sounding like a near-copy of the standard idiom.

Common scenarios and the right choice

Use the table below when you’re editing. It groups the usual contexts where this shows up: arguments, feedback, essays, and day-to-day messaging.

Situation	Best wording	Why it fits
You’re steering a debate back to the main claim	beside the point	Signals “not relevant” and closes the detour.
Someone nitpicks a minor detail in an essay	beside the point	Marks the nitpick as off-topic.
You’re listing extra items or reasons	besides	Means “in addition to” or “as well.”
You mean “other than that”	besides	Signals an exception or extra note.
You’re writing a formal email and want the safe idiom	beside the point	Standard in edited writing; low risk of sounding off.
You’re describing physical location	beside	Means “next to,” no idiom involved.
You’re comparing two things	beside	Means “compared with.”
You want to say “also not relevant” as a second jab	not the point / still not the point	Reads cleaner than “besides the point.”
You’re quoting someone who said “besides the point”	keep the quote, fix your own wording	Quotes reflect speech; your prose can stay standard.

Checklist for essays, reports, and formal writing

If you’re writing for school or work, readers expect standard idioms and clean phrasing. Use this short pass when you edit.

1. Find the phrase. Search your draft for “beside the point” and “besides the point.”
2. Run the swap test. Replace it with “not relevant.” If the sentence holds, stick with “beside the point.”
3. Check your goal. If you’re adding another reason, rewrite with “besides” plus a comma, and remove “the point.”
4. Watch for tone. “Beside the point” can sound blunt. If you want a softer tone, add a short lead-in like “I get that,” then state your main thread.
5. Read it out loud once. Your ear will catch the connector rhythm. If it sounds like a reason-stack, “besides” is pulling the line.

This pass takes under a minute, and it saves you from the one error that tutors and editors tend to circle.

Ready-made lines you can drop into your writing

Sometimes you just want a sentence that does the job without drama. Here are a few that fit common situations.

• In feedback: “That’s beside the point; the thesis needs a clearer claim.”
• In a meeting note: “The color choice is beside the point; we need the file format confirmed.”
• In a debate: “That may be true, but it’s beside the point we’re settling.”
• In a reply that adds a reason: “I can’t join tonight; besides, I’ve got an early start.”

Notice how the last line uses “besides” alone, with the comma pause, not with “the point.”

Quick edits that make your sentence sound natural

Sometimes the easiest fix is not choosing between two close phrases. It’s rewriting the line so your meaning lands fast.

Swap to a clean alternative

• “That’s beside the point.” → “That’s not relevant.”
• “That’s beside the point.” → “That’s not what we’re deciding.”
• “That’s beside the point.” → “That doesn’t answer the question.”

Keep the tone without sounding stiff

If “not relevant” feels sharp, soften the delivery while keeping the meaning clear.

• “I hear you, but that’s beside the point.”
• “That may be true, but it’s beside the point.”
• “Let’s park that; it’s beside the point right now.”

When “besides the point” shows up in speech

In casual talk, people stack thoughts quickly. “Besides” can slip in as a filler-style connector, then “the point” follows because it’s already in the speaker’s head. The result is “besides the point,” even when the speaker means “not relevant.”

If you’re writing dialogue, you can leave it as-is to keep the voice true to the speaker. If you’re writing your own narration, “beside the point” stays the cleaner idiom.

Mini drills to lock it in

Try these fast picks. Read the sentence, swap the phrase with “not relevant,” and see what clicks.

1. “Whether the printer is new is ___; it still jams.”
2. “___ the late start, we finished early.”
3. “Her accent is ___; we’re grading the argument.”
4. “No one came ___ my sister.”
5. “Put the lamp ___ the sofa.”

Answers:

• 1 and 3 take beside the point.
• 2 and 4 take besides (“in addition to,” “other than”).
• 5 takes beside (“next to”).

Decision table for fast proofreading

Use this when you’re scanning your draft right before you hit publish.

If you mean…	Write…	Micro check
Not related to the topic	beside the point	Swap in “not relevant.”
Next to, by the side of	beside	Picture physical placement.
Compared with	beside	Try “compared with.”
In addition to	besides	Try “in addition to.”
Other than, except	besides	Try “except.”
Adding a side reason in a sentence	besides	Check if a comma fits before it.
A casual variant you’re quoting	besides the point	Keep it inside quotation marks.

A last pass you can do in under a minute

Scan for “besides the point.” If it’s not in dialogue, ask what you mean.

• If you mean “not relevant,” change it to “beside the point” or “not relevant.”
• If you mean “in addition to this,” drop “the point” and use “besides” with a noun phrase.

That’s it. Once you separate “relevance” from “addition,” the choice stops feeling fuzzy.