scanty

/ˈskænti/

//ˈskænti// adj

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

"scanty" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scanty” is uncommon English (frequency #63,977 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,977
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Somewhat less than is needed in amplitude or extent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scanty · scanty · English

scanty · rank #63,977 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,977
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Scalise

Nearest frequency peer: Scalise (-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 “scanty”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for scanty
PropertyValue
Headwordscanty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈskænti/
Letters6
Frequency rank#63,977
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scanty” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).scantyfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Scalise” (#63,976), “Schnell” (#63,978), “Schon” (#63,979). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scanty” is #63,977. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scanty is uncommon English at frequency #63,977 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈskænti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for scanty in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From scant + -y. The correct English form is scanty, spelled S-C-A-N-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Somewhat less than is needed in amplitude or extent.
  2. 2
    Sparing; niggardly; parsimonious; stingy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A girl dressed in scanty clothing
  2. To share, with ill-concealed disdain, / Of Scotland's pay the scanty gain.

Etymology

From scant + -y.

This word in other languages

escaso(Español)maigre(Français)dürftig(Deutsch)escasso(Português)

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 "scanty"?
"scanty" is spelled S-C-A-N-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskænti/.
What does "scanty" mean?
As an adjective, "scanty" means: Somewhat less than is needed in amplitude or extent.
How do you pronounce "scanty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scanty" is /ˈskænti/. 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 "scanty"?
From scant + -y. 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 "scanty", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rebuff#63,931spliff#64,024Ravana#63,928rashly#63,927

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list