sidetrack

/ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/

//ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sidetrack” is uncommon English (frequency #99,860 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,860
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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 ...

Corpus desk

Index EN-sidetrack · sidetrack · English

sidetrack · rank #99,860 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #99,860
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shuttlecock

Nearest frequency peer: shuttlecock (-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 “sidetrack”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sidetrack
PropertyValue
Headwordsidetrack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#99,860
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sidetrack” 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).sidetrackfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “shuttlecock” (#99,859), “shushing” (#99,858), “Siew” (#99,862). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sidetrack” is #99,860. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sidetrack is uncommon English at frequency #99,860 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

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

  1. 1
    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 on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.
  2. 2
    Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track.
  3. 3
    A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well.
  4. 4
    An 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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Stay focused on the story; you keep getting lost in all of these little sidetracks.
  2. "However, I am down a side-track. What I wanted to say to you is that you must not take Bolsover's little spirit circus too seriously."

Etymology

From side + track.

Synonyms

railroad sidingsidinglay-by

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 "sidetrack"?
"sidetrack" is spelled S-I-D-E-T-R-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/.
What does "sidetrack" mean?
As a noun, "sidetrack" means: 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 ...
How do you pronounce "sidetrack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sidetrack" is /ˈsaɪdˌtɹæk/. 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 "sidetrack"?
From side + track. 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 "sidetrack", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

showplace#99,856sepulcher#99,837spearfish#99,886scrimshaw#99,828

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list