# scant

> English word · Adjective · IPA /skænt/ · frequency rank #25,564

## Definitions
1. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager.
2. Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
3. Slightly diminished; just short of the amount described.

## Etymology
Adjective and determiner from Middle English scant, from Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr (“short”), from Proto-Germanic *skammaz (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱem- (“mutilated, hornless”). Verb from Middle English scanten, from the adjective. Noun and adverb from Middle English scant, from the adjective.

## Easily confused with
- **sent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-sent)
- **seat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-seat)
- **sean** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-sean)
- **span** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-span)
- **stan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-stan)
- **stat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-stat)
- **swan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-swan)
- **scar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-scar)
- **SWAT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-swat)
- **spat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-spat)
- **Scot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-scot)
- **shan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-shan)
- **scat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-scat)
- **shat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-shat)
- **sian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-sian)
- **start** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-start)
- **stand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-stand)
- **spent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-spent)
- **scene** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-scene)
- **smart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scant-vs-smart)

## Common misspellings (8)
`csant`, `sacnt`, `scannt`, `scantt`, `scatn`, `sccant`, `scnat`, `sscant`

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