How to pronounce beside
Say it like bih-SYDE. Beside has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SYDE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce beside. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- bih
- SYDE
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Beside pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- bihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SYDESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in time.
American vs British pronunciation of beside
American and British speakers say beside in essentially the same way: /bɪˈsaɪd/ in the US and /bɪˈsaɪd/ in the UK.
British respelling: bih-SYDE.
What does beside mean?
- Next to; at the side of.“A small table beside the bed”
- Not relevant to.“That is beside the point / beside the topic / beside the subject / beside the focus of this discussion.”
- Besides; in addition to.“I'll need another dictionary beside this one.”
- Otherwise; else; in addition; besides.
Where does beside come from?
From Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”).
Words that rhyme with beside
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of beside.
Questions about saying beside
How do you pronounce beside?
Say bih-SYDE. The American pronunciation is /bɪˈsaɪd/. In British English it is /bɪˈsaɪd/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in beside?
Beside has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SYDE). Broken into parts: bih · SYDE.
Do Americans and Brits say beside the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɪˈsaɪd/ and the British form is /bɪˈsaɪd/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.