# shortcoming vs shortcomings

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shortcoming
*noun · IPA /ˈʃɔːtˌkʌmɪŋ/ · frequency rank #49,046*
A deficiency or falling short; failure to attain a goal or ideal.

### shortcomings
*noun · frequency rank #16,127*
plural of shortcoming

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shortcoming-vs-shortcomings