# shortness

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #33,846

## Definitions
1. The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief.
2. The result or product of being short.
3. The property of being short or terse.

## Etymology
From Middle English schortnesse, from Old English sċortnes, sċeortnys, equivalent to short + -ness.

## Easily confused with
- **soreness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shortness-vs-soreness)
- **softness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shortness-vs-softness)
- **shortest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shortest-vs-shortness)
- **shirtless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shirtless-vs-shortness)
- **sharpness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharpness-vs-shortness)

## Common misspellings (13)
`hsortness`, `shhortness`, `shorntess`, `shorrtness`, `shortenss`, `shortnes`, `shortnness`, `shortnses`, `shorttness`, `shotrness`, `shrotness`, `sohrtness`, `sshortness`

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