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offside

/ɒfˈsaɪd/adjective, noun

offside is spelled O-F-F-S-I-D-E: 7 letters. It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, offside means “In an illegal position ahead of the ball, puck, etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in offside?

Letters7: O-F-F-S-I-D-E
In writing1.7 times per million words; the 21,209th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is offside?

Offside appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce offside?

  • /ɒfˈsaɪd/

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-offside.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with offside

Also written: off-side (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of offside

  • more offside comparative
  • most offside superlative
  • off-side
  • offsides plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does offside mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    In an illegal position ahead of the ball, puck, etc.

  2. 2

    slangOut of bounds.

  3. 3

    USTo the side of the road, past the curb and sidewalk.

    an offside diner

  4. 4

    Unfavourably located, from the point of view of the player taking a finesse.

  5. 5

    To the side of a boat, opposite the primary side on which one paddles.

noun

  1. 1

    An offside play.

  2. 2

    AustraliaUKThe side of a road vehicle furthest from the kerb: the right side if one drives on the left of the road.

    My offside wing mirror got snapped off.

  3. 3

    The right-hand side of a working animal such as a horse or bullock, especially when in harness.

  4. 4

    UKThe side of a canal opposite the towpath.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Offside in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchhors-jeu (in an illegal position ahead of the ball)
Germanim Abseits, abseits (in an illegal position ahead of the ball), am Straßenrand, Straßenrand- (to the side of a road), Abseits (offside play)
Portugueseimpedido, fora de jogo (in an illegal position ahead of the ball), junto à estrada (to the side of a road), impedimento (offside play)
Spanishfuera de juego (in an illegal position ahead of the ball), posición adelantada, posición prohibida, órsay (offside play)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does offside come from?

From off- + side. Compare German Abseite (“remote area, backside”), German abseits (“out of the way, apart, aside”, adverb), Dutch afzijdig (“neutral, impartial”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after offside