blindside

/ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/

//ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"blindside" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blindside” is uncommon English (frequency #50,390 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,390
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A driver's field of blindness around an automobile; the side areas behind the driver.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blindside · blindside · English

blindside · rank #50,390 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,390
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH blanch

Nearest frequency peer: blanch (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “blindside”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “blindside” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for blindside
PropertyValue
Headwordblindside
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#50,390
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “blindside” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).blindsidefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “blanch” (#50,389), “biomechanics” (#50,388), “blotting” (#50,392). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blindside” is #50,390. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

blindside is uncommon English at frequency #50,390 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for blindside in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From blind + side. The correct English form is blindside, spelled B-L-I-N-D-S-I-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A driver's field of blindness around an automobile; the side areas behind the driver.
  2. 2
    A tram/train driver's field of blindness around a tram (trolley/streetcar) or a train; the side areas behind the tram/train driver.
  3. 3
    A person's weak point.
  4. 4
    The space on the side of the pitch with the shorter distance between the breakdown/set piece and the touchline; compare openside.
  5. 5
    The blindside flanker, a position in rugby union, usually number 6.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how blindside appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Showing no ill-effects from her lay-off, the full-back had already beaten three defenders on a jagging kick return, when she was sprung down the blindside a minute later.
  2. The blindside packs down at the scrum on the blindside.

Etymology

From blind + side.

This word in other languages

angle mort(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blindside"?
"blindside" is spelled B-L-I-N-D-S-I-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/.
What does "blindside" mean?
As a noun, "blindside" means: A driver's field of blindness around an automobile; the side areas behind the driver.
How do you pronounce "blindside"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blindside" is /ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "blindside"?
From blind + side. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "blindside", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

beekeeper#50,380Bridgette#50,402barbarous#50,371axiomatic#50,367

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list