shortwave
/ˈʃɔːtweɪv/
"shortwave" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“shortwave” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,627 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #52,627
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An electromagnetic wave with a relatively short wavelength; specifically, one with a wavelength generally between 10 and 100 metres, corresponding to a frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | shortwave |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈʃɔːtweɪv/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #52,627 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “shortwave” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for shortwave is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃɔːtweɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,627 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for shortwave, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from short (adjective) + wave (noun). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The adverb is also derived from the noun. The correct English form is shortwave, spelled S-H-O-R-T-W-A-V-E.
Definition
- 1An electromagnetic wave with a relatively short wavelength; specifically, one with a wavelength generally between 10 and 100 metres, corresponding to a frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz.
- 2An electromagnetic wave with a relatively short wavelength; specifically, one with a wavelength generally between 10 and 100 metres, corresponding to a frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz.
- 3An electromagnetic wave with a relatively short wavelength; specifically, one with a wavelength generally between 10 and 100 metres, corresponding to a frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz.
- 4An electromagnetic wave with a relatively short wavelength; specifically, one with a wavelength generally between 10 and 100 metres, corresponding to a frequency between 3 and 30 megahertz.
Etymology
The noun is derived from short (adjective) + wave (noun). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. The adverb is also derived from the noun.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “shortwave”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-H-O-R-T-W-A-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈʃɔːtweɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.