# derail vs derailed

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### derail
*noun · IPA /ˌdəˈɹeɪ.əl/ · frequency rank #26,059*
Synonym of derailer: A device placed on railway tracks in order to cause a train to derail.

### derailed
*verb · frequency rank #25,032*
simple past and past participle of derail

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/derail-vs-derailed