shortchange
/ʃɔɹtˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ/verb
shortchange is spelled S-H-O-R-T-C-H-A-N-G-E: 11 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 118,441st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, shortchange means “To defraud (someone) by giving them less change than they should be given after a transaction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shortchange?
| Letters | 11: S-H-O-R-T-C-H-A-N-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 15 million words; the 118,441st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shortchange?
Shortchange appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 118,441st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shortchange?
- US /ʃɔɹtˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ/
- UK /ʃɔːtˈtʃeɪnd͡ʒ/
Shortchange has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-shortchange.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with shortchange?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shortchange from its last stressed vowel (/eɪndʒ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shortchange
- shortchanges present, singular, he/she/it
- shortchanging participle, present
- shortchanged participle, past
- short-change
- short change
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shortchange mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To defraud (someone) by giving them less change than they should be given after a transaction.
I got shortchanged! I gave him $10 for a $5 item and he only gave me $1 back.
- 2
To deprive (someone or something) of something due; to treat unfairly; to cheat, deceive; to half-ass.
The elective class was easy, but in the end I was shortchanging myself by taking it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shortchange in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does shortchange come from?
From short + change.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).