shortstop

/ʃɔɹt.stap/

//ʃɔɹt.stap// noun

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

"shortstop" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shortstop” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,639. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,639
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The infield defensive player that stands between the second baseman and the third baseman.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shortstop · shortstop · English

shortstop · rank #27,639 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,639
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shoddy

Nearest frequency peer: shoddy (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “shortstop”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “shortstop” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for shortstop
PropertyValue
Headwordshortstop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʃɔɹt.stap/
Letters9
Frequency rank#27,639
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shortstop”

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).shortstoplands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “shoddy” (#27,638), “sedition” (#27,637), “sleazy” (#27,641). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shortstop” is #27,639. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around shortstop (IPA /ʃɔɹt.stap/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,639 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for shortstop, with forms such as "hsortstop", "shhortstop", and "shorrtstop". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From short + stop. The correct English form is shortstop, spelled S-H-O-R-T-S-T-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The infield defensive player that stands between the second baseman and the third baseman.
  2. 2
    A nimble defender.
  3. 3
    A player who is short of money.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The shortstop ranged deep into the hole to make the stop.
  2. “Your father was the best baseball player anyone had ever seen.” Excited but halting, her voice ran on past all obstacles. “We watched him play shortstop, and my father said he was the best, and my brothers too. The Cardinals sent a man down to talk to him about one of their teams.” Like an ancient marineress, she would not let go. She meant the St. Louis…

Etymology

From short + stop.

This word in other languages

arrêt-court(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsortstop
  • shhortstop
  • shorrtstop
  • shorsttop
  • shortsotp
  • shortsstop
  • shortstopp
  • shortstpo
  • shortsttop
  • shorttsop
  • shorttstop
  • shotrstop
  • shrotstop
  • sohrtstop
  • sshortstop

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shortstop - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hsortstop2shhortstop1shorrtstop1shorsttop2shortsotp2shortsstop1shortstopp1shortstpo2
Edit distance from "shortstop"

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 "shortstop"?
"shortstop" is spelled S-H-O-R-T-S-T-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃɔɹt.stap/.
What does "shortstop" mean?
As a noun, "shortstop" means: The infield defensive player that stands between the second baseman and the third baseman.
What are common misspellings of "shortstop"?
Common misspellings include "hsortstop", "shhortstop", "shorrtstop", "shorsttop", "shortsotp". The correct spelling is "shortstop".
How do you pronounce "shortstop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shortstop" is /ʃɔɹt.stap/. 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 "shortstop"?
From short + stop. 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 "shortstop", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

scrimmage#27,635smoothing#27,645Schroeder#27,632saltwater#27,629

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

nervousness15 variantsmonochrome15 variantsbyproduct15 variantsinstalment15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list