sidetrack
/ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/
"sidetrack" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sidetrack” is an uncommon English word, ranked #99,860 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #99,860
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains ...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | sidetrack |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #99,860 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “sidetrack” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for sidetrack is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/. Corpus data places it at rank #99,860 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
sidetrack doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From side + track. The correct English form is sidetrack, spelled S-I-D-E-T-R-A-C-K.
Definition
- 1A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.
- 2Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track.
- 3A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well.
- 4An alternate train of thought, issue, topic, or activity, that is a deviation or distraction from the topic at hand or central activity, and secondary or subordinate in importance or effectiveness.
Etymology
From side + track.
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
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Using “sidetrack”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-I-D-E-T-R-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.