shorten

/ˈʃɔːtn̩/

//ˈʃɔːtn̩// verb

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

"shorten" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shorten” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,718 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#17,718
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make shorter; to abbreviate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

shorten vs shorts
71% similar
shorten vs sorted
71% similar
shorten vs soften
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for shorten
PropertyValue
Headwordshorten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈʃɔːtn̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,718
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shorten” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). shorten lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for shorten is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃɔːtn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,718 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for shorten, with forms such as "hsorten", "shhorten", and "shoretn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "shorts", "sorted", "soften", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *… The correct English form is shorten, spelled S-H-O-R-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make shorter; to abbreviate.
  2. 2
    To become shorter.
  3. 3
    To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
  4. 4
    To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
  5. 5
    To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
  6. 6
    To make crumbly.
  7. 7
    To take in the slack of (a rope).
  8. 8
    To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
  9. 9
    to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown

Etymology

From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).

Synonyms

abbreviateabridgechop downchop offcompresscondensecurtcurtaillop offmake shorterpareprunereduce in lengthshortentrimtruncatesaw off

Antonyms

extendlengthen

This word in other languages

acortar(Español)raccourcir(Français)verkürzen(Deutsch)encurtar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsorten,shhorten,shoretn,shorrten,shortenn,shortne,shortten,shotren,shroten,sohrten,sshorten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shorten - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hsorten2shhorten1shoretn2shorrten1shortenn1shortne2shortten1shotren2
Edit distance from "shorten"

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 "shorten"?
"shorten" is spelled S-H-O-R-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɔːtn̩/.
What does "shorten" mean?
As a verb, "shorten" means: To make shorter; to abbreviate.
What words are commonly confused with "shorten"?
"shorten" is commonly confused with "shorts", "sorted", "soften". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shorten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shorten" is /ˈʃɔːtn̩/. 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 "shorten"?
From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-... 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.

Using “shorten”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-O-R-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃɔːtn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “shorts” - see the side-by-side comparison. shorten vs shorts
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list