sidestep
/ˈsaɪdˌstɛp/noun, verb
sidestep is spelled S-I-D-E-S-T-E-P: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sidestep means “A step to the side” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sidestep is sidesteps.
How many letters and syllables are in sidestep?
| Letters | 8: S-I-D-E-S-T-E-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,633rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is sidestep?
Sidestep appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd 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 sidestep?
- /ˈsaɪdˌstɛp/
Sidestep has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-sidestep.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with sidestep?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as sidestep.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: stepside.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of sidestep
- sidesteps plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sidestepping participle, present
- sidestepped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sidestep mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A step to the side.
- 2
A physical motion or metaphorical act to avoid or dodge something.
verb
- 1
To step to the side.
- 2
To avoid or dodge.
They sidestepped the issue.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sidestep in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ausweichen, ausspielen , vermeiden |
| Spanish | ladear , soslayar |
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 sidestep come from?
From side + step.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).