Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

short bit

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.05 in modern English

Syllables
short- bit
IPA
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The monetary amount of ten cents.

American usage

Etymology

With the adoption of decimal US currency in 1794, there was no longer a US coin worth one eighth of a dollar, but two bits retained the meaning of one quarter dollar. Because there was no one-bit coin, a dime (10¢) was sometimes called a short bit and 15¢ a long bit.

Usage

Inflected Forms

short bits (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

long bit

Questions

What does short bit mean?
The monetary amount of ten cents.
Where does short bit come from?
With the adoption of decimal US currency in 1794, there was no longer a US coin worth one eighth of a dollar, but two bits retained the meaning of one quarter dollar. Because there was no one-bit coin, a dime (10¢) was sometimes called a short bit and 15¢ a long bit.

How to pronounce short bit

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