"Besides" vs. "Aside from"

Anonymous asked: Okay, so this is something that has been confusing me for a while now. What is the difference between “besides” and “aside from”? For example, if I were to say, “I’ve had a good week, (besides/aside from) Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.” which would I use?

Usually, “besides” and “aside from” can be used interchangeably; however, there is a very slight difference.

Besides (prep): In addition to; apart from

and

Aside from (prep): Excluding; with the exception of.

“Besides” is often considered to be a tiny bit less formal than “aside from”.

So, let’s look at your sentence: “I’ve had a good week, (besides/aside from) Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.” Here’s the breakdown:

• Besides: I’ve had a good week, besides Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.
  You’re saying the same thing here as:

  I’ve had a good week, apart from Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.

  But someone might misunderstand you and think you mean:

  I’ve had a good week, in addition to Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.

  Not likely. It is much more likely that readers will understand that, all things considered, you’re week would have been good if not for the waterfall incident. The phrasing suggests that you’re taking the waterfall incident into consideration when you make your pronouncement about the week being good, at least you’re taking it more into consideration than if you had used “aside from”. Speaking of…
• Aside from: I’ve had a good week, aside from Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.
  You’re saying the same thing here as:

  I’ve had a good week, with the exception of Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.

  Or

  I’ve had a good week, excluding Tuesday when I fell into a waterfall.

  Basically, readers will understand that if you don’t take Tuesday into account, your week was good. The use of “aside from” suggests that, when you are tallying up the goods and bads from the week, you leave out the waterfall incident entirely. The reader understand that, while you’re not counting it, you feel you might as well mention it.

They are very nearly the same thing. I would say that, unless you’re using “besides” as an adverb or “aside” without the “from”, it would be all right to use them interchangeably. If you’re writing something more formal, you might go with “aside from”, and even then, there is only a slight difference.

Sources:

• TheFreeDictionary: besides VS aside from
• English Language and Usage: ‘Aside from’ Vs ‘Besides’
• TheFreeDictionary: Idioms: aside from
• Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: aside from

Thank you for your question! If you have further questions or a comment to add, hit us up!

-C

It’s the little things:

Me (then): “Oh my god!”

Me (now): “Oh my goodness!”

It sounds weaker, but makes me feel stronger as an atheist.

I'm sorry I don't care what race you are

Saying “no homo my nigger” is offensive. To me. As a white straight woman. Last time I checked “nigger” is still offensive to African Americans, so it blows my mind that someone would use a word to offend their own race. I get it, rappers make it okay, but how fucked is that? Also, why why WHY do people say no homo? You need to prove and announce your sexual orientation after complimenting a person of the same sex… So people don’t get confused? Why the fuck is that a priority? Because being “homo” (I fucking hate that word) is such a terrible thing to be perceived as since it obviously means you have to be less manly. I just hate people and their blatant close minded perception of the world.

I don’t care that you’re black so you couldn’t possibly offend anyone with your word choice or that there was seemingly nobody you might offend around, your choice of words offended me, a friend of many races and sexual preferences.

People just disgust me.