Quick answer
A track is a path, a course, or a recorded song. A tract is an expanse of land, a system in the body (the digestive tract), or a short pamphlet arguing a position. "A large track of land" is the common error; land comes in tracts.
The core difference
A path and an expanse — plus a pamphlet.
- track — a path or course: a dirt track, keep track of, album track.
- tract — an expanse: a tract of forest; a body system: the respiratory tract; a pamphlet: a religious tract.
The three senses of tract
They share the idea of extent — from Latin tractus, a drawing out or stretch. Land stretches; the digestive tract is a long passage; and a tract as a pamphlet comes from a separate Latin word, tractatus, a treatise. The third is a coincidence of form rather than a shared image.
The error to watch
"Tracks of land" appears constantly. Land comes in tracts; tracks are what you leave crossing it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it "tracks of land" or "tracts of land"?
Tracts. A tract is an expanse; a track is a path.
Why is it called the digestive tract?
From Latin tractus, a stretch or drawing out — it is a long continuous passage.
What is a religious tract?
A short pamphlet arguing a position, from Latin tractatus, a treatise.
