Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shortcoming

/ˈʃoɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.57 in modern English

Syllables: short-com-ing
IPA: /ˈʃoɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A deficiency or falling short; failure to attain a goal or ideal.

Example Sentences

"They were behind twice, first to James Morrison's 11th-minute strike and then Kenny Miller's effort early in the second half. England responded with goals of their own from Theo Walcott and Daniel Welbeck and, on the balance of play, probably deserved the victory. On the flip-side, they could conceivably have lost because of their various shortcomings in defence. They also have a goalkeeper, Joe Hart, who is a danger to his own team on nights like these."
"In truth, I suspect it will take more than the first term of a Labour government to address the shortcomings of the railway system in the North."

Etymology

From short + coming.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈʃoɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/
British English: /ˈʃɔːtˌkʌmɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

shortcomings (plural)

Phrases

come up short fall short

Frequently Paired Words

come up short fall short shortcomer shortfall

Synonyms

failing defect

Questions

How do you pronounce shortcoming?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʃoɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/.
What does shortcoming mean?: A deficiency or falling short; failure to attain a goal or ideal.
Where does shortcoming come from?: From short + coming.

How to pronounce shortcoming

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shortcoming”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈʃoɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “shortcoming”.
Repeat and practice — Say “shortcoming” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.