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Short vs. Sort — What's the Difference?

By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 5, 2024
"Short" describes something of small length or duration, while "sort" refers to the categorization or arrangement of items.
Short vs. Sort — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Short and Sort

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Key Differences

"Short" is primarily an adjective used to describe the limited extent of something, be it length, height, distance, or duration. On the other hand, "sort" is a verb meaning to arrange or classify objects, actions, or ideas according to shared characteristics or types.
In terms of usage, "short" can describe both physical dimensions, such as "a short man" or temporal lengths like "a short meeting". Whereas, "sort" involves an action, such as "sort the papers by date" or "sort the laundry by color".
The adjective "short" is often used comparatively, as in "shorter than", to emphasize relativity in size or time. In contrast, "sort" as a verb involves decision-making and organization, focusing on creating order from chaos.
In the physical world, "short" may refer to a person's stature or an object's length, adding a qualitative measure. However, "sort" is used in a broader context, including data organization in computing and categorization in everyday tasks.
"Short" can also function as an adverb, describing the manner of an action, such as "cut short". Meanwhile, "sort" can be a noun, denoting a type or kind, which broadens its usage beyond verbs, such as in phrases like "a sort of" indicating a vague categorization.
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Adjective, Adverb
Verb, Noun

Usage

Describes length, height, duration
Arranges or classifies

Comparative Usage

Often used comparatively
Used for making decisions

Example in Sentence

"He is short." / "She spoke shortly."
"Sort the files by size." / "What sort of idea is that?"

Common Contexts

Physical dimensions, time duration
Organization, categorization

Compare with Definitions

Short

Indicates a brief period of time.
He made a short visit to the office.

Sort

Used to describe the process of sifting or filtering.
Sort the data before analysis.

Short

In finance, means selling stocks one does not own.
He decided to short the stock due to market predictions.

Sort

To arrange items by type or category.
Sort the fruits into separate baskets.

Short

Describes limited length or duration.
The bridge is too short to span the river.

Sort

Can indicate considering or deliberating.
I’ll sort through the offers and decide.

Short

Can mean curt or abrupt in manner.
Her response was short and to the point.

Sort

As a noun, it means a type or kind.
That's a strange sort of bird.

Short

Used to describe insufficient quantities.
We are short on supplies.

Sort

Refers to finding a solution or method.
We need to sort out this issue soon.

Short

Measuring a small distance from end to end
Short dark hair
A short flight of steps
The bed was too short for him

Sort

A group of persons or things of the same general character; a kind. See Usage Note at kind2.

Short

Lasting or taking a small amount of time
Visiting London for a short break
A short conversation

Sort

Character or nature
Books of a subversive sort.

Short

Relatively small in extent
He wrote a short book
A short speech

Sort

One that exemplifies the characteristics of or serves a similar function to another
"A large dinner-party ... made a sort of general introduction for her to the society of the neighbourhood" (George Eliot).

Short

(of a vowel) categorized as short with regard to quality and length (e.g. in standard British English the vowel /ʊ/ in good is short as distinct from the long vowel /uː/ in food).

Sort

A person; an individual
The clerk is a decent sort.

Short

(of a person) terse; uncivil
He was often sharp and rather short with her

Sort

(Computers) An operation that arranges data in a specified way
Did an alphabetic sort on the columns of data.

Short

(of odds or a chance) reflecting or representing a high level of probability
They have been backed at short odds to win thousands of pounds

Sort

(Archaic) A way of acting or behaving
"in this sort the simple household lived / From day to day" (William Wordsworth).

Short

(of pastry) containing a high proportion of fat to flour and therefore crumbly.

Sort

To place or arrange according to class, kind, or size; classify
Sorted the books into boxes by genre.

Short

(chiefly in sport) at, to, or over a relatively small distance
You go deep and you go short

Sort

To separate from others
Sort the wheat from the chaff.

Short

A drink of spirits served in a small measure.

Sort

To make a search or examination of a collection of things
Sorted through the laundry looking for a matching sock.

Short

A short film as opposed to a feature film.

Sort

To be or become arranged in a certain way.

Short

A short sound such as a short signal in Morse code or a short vowel or syllable
Her call was two longs and a short

Sort

A general type.

Short

A short circuit.

Sort

Manner; form of being or acting.

Short

A person who sells short.

Sort

(obsolete) Condition above the vulgar; rank.

Short

A mixture of bran and coarse flour.

Sort

(informal) A person evaluated in a certain way (bad, good, strange, etc.).

Short

Short-circuit or cause to short-circuit
The electrical circuit had shorted out
If the contact terminals are shorted, the battery quickly overheats

Sort

(dated) Group, company.

Short

Sell (stocks or other securities or commodities) in advance of acquiring them, with the aim of making a profit when the price falls
The rule prevents sellers from shorting a stock unless the last trade resulted in a price increase

Sort

A good-looking woman.

Short

Having little length; not long.

Sort

An act of sorting.
I had a sort of my cupboard.

Short

Having little height; not tall.

Sort

(computing) An algorithm for sorting a list of items into a particular sequence.
Popular algorithms for sorts include quicksort and heapsort.

Short

Extending or traveling not far or not far enough
A short toss.

Sort

(typography) A piece of metal type used to print one letter, character, or symbol in a particular size and style.

Short

Lasting a brief time
A short holiday.

Sort

(mathematics) A type.

Short

Appearing to pass quickly
Finished the job in a few short months.

Sort

(obsolete) Chance; lot; destiny.

Short

Not lengthy; succinct
Short and to the point.

Sort

(obsolete) A full set of anything, such as a pair of shoes, or a suit of clothes.

Short

Rudely brief; abrupt
The owner was quite short with the new hire.

Sort

(transitive) To separate items into different categories according to certain criteria that determine their sorts.
Sort the letters in those bags into a separate pile for each language.

Short

Easily provoked; irascible
Has a short temper.

Sort

(transitive) To arrange into some sequence, usually numerically, alphabetically or chronologically.
Sort those bells into a row in ascending sequence of pitch.

Short

Inadequate; insufficient
Oil in short supply.
Were short on experience.

Sort

(transitive) To conjoin; to put together in distribution; to class.

Short

Lacking in length or amount
A board that is short two inches.

Sort

To conform; to adapt; to accommodate.

Short

Lacking in breadth or scope
A short view of the problem.

Sort

To choose from a number; to select; to cull.

Short

Deficient in retentiveness
A short memory.

Sort

(intransitive) To join or associate with others, especially with others of the same kind or species; to agree.

Short

Holding a trading position that is inversely related to the price of a security or index
Short investors.
An investor who is short gold.

Sort

(intransitive) To suit; to fit; to be in accord; to harmonize.

Short

Of or relating to a short sale
A short position.

Sort

To fix (a problem) or handle (a task).

Short

Containing a large amount of shortening; flaky
A short pie crust.

Sort

To attack physically.
If he comes nosing around here again I'll sort him!

Short

Not ductile; brittle
Short iron.

Sort

(transitive) To geld.

Short

(Linguistics) Of, relating to, or being a speech sound of relatively brief duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mălus, "evil," as compared with the same or a similar sound of relatively long duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mālus, "apple tree."

Sort

Chance; lot; destiny.
By aventure, or sort, or cas [chance].
Let blockish Ajax drawThe sort to fight with Hector.

Short

(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a vowel sound in English, such as the vowel sound (ă) in pat or () in put, that is descended from a vowel of brief duration.

Sort

A kind or species; any number or collection of individual persons or things characterized by the same or like qualities; a class or order; as, a sort of men; a sort of horses; a sort of trees; a sort of poems.

Short

Being of relatively brief duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.

Sort

Manner; form of being or acting.
Which for my part I covet to perform,In sort as through the world I did proclaim.
Flowers, in such sort worn, can neither be smelt nor seen well by those that wear them.
I'll deceive you in another sort.
To Adam in what sortShall I appear?
I shall not be wholly without praise, if in some sort I have copied his style.

Short

(Slang) Close to the end of a tour of military duty.

Sort

Condition above the vulgar; rank.

Short

Abruptly; quickly
Stop short.

Sort

A chance group; a company of persons who happen to be together; a troop; also, an assemblage of animals.
A boy, a child, and we a sort of us,Vowed against his voyage.

Short

In a rude or curt manner.

Sort

A pair; a set; a suit.

Short

At a point before a given boundary, limit, or goal
A missile that landed short of the target.

Sort

Letters, figures, points, marks, spaces, or quadrats, belonging to a case, separately considered.
As when the total kindOf birds, in orderly array on wing,Came summoned over Eden to receiveTheir names of there.
None of noble sortWould so offend a virgin.

Short

At a disadvantage
We were caught short by the sudden storm.

Sort

To separate, and place in distinct classes or divisions, as things having different qualities; as, to sort cloths according to their colors; to sort wool or thread according to its fineness.
Rays which differ in refrangibility may be parted and sorted from one another.

Short

By means of a short sale
Selling a commodity short.

Sort

To reduce to order from a confused state.

Short

(Linguistics) A short syllable, vowel, or consonant.

Sort

To conjoin; to put together in distribution; to class.
Shellfish have been, by some of the ancients, compared and sorted with insects.
She sorts things present with things past.

Short

A brief film; a short subject.

Sort

To choose from a number; to select; to cull.
That he may sort out a worthy spouse.
I'll sort some other time to visit you.

Short

A size of clothing less long than the average for that size.

Sort

To conform; to adapt; to accommodate.
I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience.

Short

Shorts Short pants extending to the knee or above.

Sort

To join or associate with others, esp. with others of the same kind or species; to agree.
Nor do metals only sort and herd with metals in the earth, and minerals with minerals.
The illiberality of parents towards children makes them base, and sort with any company.

Short

Shorts Undershorts.

Sort

To suit; to fit; to be in accord; to harmonize.
They are happy whose natures sort with their vocations.
Things sort not to my will.
I can not tell you precisely how they sorted.

Short

A short sale.

Sort

A category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality;
Sculpture is a form of art
What kinds of desserts are there?

Short

One that sells short.

Sort

An approximate definition or example;
She wore a sort of magenta dress
She served a creamy sort of dessert thing

Short

Shorts A byproduct of wheat processing that consists of germ, bran, and coarse meal or flour.

Sort

A person of a particular character or nature;
What sort of person is he?
He's a good sort

Short

Shorts Clippings or trimmings that remain as byproducts in various manufacturing processes, often used to make an inferior variety of the product.

Sort

An operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion;
The bottleneck in mail delivery it the process of sorting

Short

A short circuit.

Sort

Examine in order to test suitability;
Screen these samples
Screen the job applicants

Short

A malfunction caused by a short circuit.

Sort

Arrange or order by classes or categories;
How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?

Short

(Baseball) A shortstop.

Short

To cause a short circuit in.

Short

(Informal) To give (one) less than one is entitled to; shortchange.

Short

To short-sell (a security or index).

Short

To short-circuit.

Short

Having a small distance from one end or edge to another, either horizontally or vertically.

Short

(of a person) Of comparatively small height.

Short

Having little duration.
Our meeting was a short six minutes today. Every day for the past month it’s been at least twenty minutes long.

Short

(followed by for) Of a word or phrase, constituting an abbreviation (for another) or shortened form (of another).
"Phone" is short for "telephone" and "asap" short for "as soon as possible".

Short

That is relatively close to the batsman.

Short

Bowled so that it bounces relatively far from the batsman.

Short

That falls short of the green or the hole.

Short

(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a small return for the money wagered.

Short

Brittle, crumbly. See shortbread, shortcake, shortcrust, shortening, hot short, cold-short.

Short

Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant.
He gave a short answer to the question.

Short

Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty.
A short supply of provisions

Short

Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied, especially with money; scantily furnished; lacking.
To be short of money
I'd lend you the cash but I'm a little short at present.
The cashier came up short ten dollars on his morning shift.

Short

Deficient; less; not coming up to a measure or standard.
An account which is short of the truth

Short

(colloquial) Undiluted; neat.

Short

(obsolete) Not distant in time; near at hand.

Short

(finance) Being in a financial investment position that is structured to be profitable if the price of the underlying security declines in the future.
Short position
I'm short in General Motors because I think their sales are plunging.

Short

(by extension) Doubtful of, skeptical of.

Short

Of money: given in the fewest possible notes, i.e. those of the largest denomination.

Short

Abruptly, curtly, briefly.
They had to stop short to avoid hitting the dog in the street.
He cut me short repeatedly in the meeting.
The boss got a message and cut the meeting short.

Short

Unawares.
The recent developments at work caught them short.

Short

Without achieving a goal or requirement.
His speech fell short of what was expected.

Short

Relatively far from the batsman and hence bouncing higher than normal; opposite of full.

Short

(finance) With a negative ownership position.
We went short most finance companies in July.

Short

A short circuit.

Short

A short film.

Short

A short version of a garment in a particular size.
38 short suits fit me right off the rack.
Do you have that size in a short?

Short

(baseball) A shortstop.
Jones smashes a grounder between third and short.

Short

(finance) A short seller.
The market decline was terrible, but the shorts were buying champagne.

Short

(finance) A short sale or short position.
He closed out his short at a modest loss after three months.

Short

A summary account.

Short

(phonetics) A short sound, syllable, or vowel.

Short

(programming) An integer variable having a smaller range than normal integers; usually two bytes long.

Short

An automobile; especially in crack shorts, to break into automobiles.

Short

(transitive) To cause a short circuit in (something).

Short

To short circuit.

Short

(transitive) To shortchange.

Short

To provide with a smaller than agreed or labeled amount.
This is the third time I’ve caught them shorting us.

Short

To sell something, especially securities, that one does not own at the moment for delivery at a later date in hopes of profiting from a decline in the price; to sell short.

Short

(obsolete) To shorten.

Short

Deficient in.
We are short a few men on the second shift.
He's short common sense.

Short

(finance) Having a negative position in.
I don’t want to be short the market going into the weekend.

Short

Not long; having brief length or linear extension; as, a short distance; a short piece of timber; a short flight.
The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it.

Short

Not extended in time; having very limited duration; not protracted; as, short breath.
The life so short, the craft so long to learn.
To short absense I could yield.

Short

Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty; as, a short supply of provisions, or of water.

Short

Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied; scantily furnished; lacking; not coming up to a resonable, or the ordinary, standard; - usually with of; as, to be short of money.
We shall be short in our provision.

Short

Deficient; defective; imperfect; not coming up, as to a measure or standard; as, an account which is short of the trith.

Short

Not distant in time; near at hand.
Marinell was sore offendedThat his departure thence should be so short.
He commanded those who were appointed to attend him to be ready by a short day.

Short

Limited in intellectual power or grasp; not comprehensive; narrow; not tenacious, as memory.
Their own short understandings reachNo farther than the present.

Short

Less important, efficaceous, or powerful; not equal or equivalent; less (than); - with of.
Hardly anything short of an invasion could rouse them again to war.

Short

Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant; as, he gave a short answer to the question.

Short

Breaking or crumbling readily in the mouth; crisp; as, short pastry.

Short

Brittle.

Short

Not prolonged, or relatively less prolonged, in utterance; - opposed to long, and applied to vowels or to syllables. In English, the long and short of the same letter are not, in most cases, the long and short of the same sound; thus, the i in ill is the short sound, not of i in isle, but of ee in eel, and the e in pet is the short sound of a in pate, etc. See Quantity, and Guide to Pronunciation, 22, 30.

Short

A summary account.
The short and the long is, our play is preferred.

Short

The part of milled grain sifted out which is next finer than the bran.
The first remove above bran is shorts.

Short

Short, inferior hemp.

Short

Breeches; shortclothes.

Short

A short sound, syllable, or vowel.
If we compare the nearest conventional shorts and longs in English, as in "bit" and "beat," "not" and "naught," we find that the short vowels are generally wide, the long narrow, besides being generally diphthongic as well. Hence, originally short vowels can be lengthened and yet kept quite distinct from the original longs.

Short

In a short manner; briefly; limitedly; abruptly; quickly; as, to stop short in one's course; to turn short.
He was taken up very short, and adjudged corrigible for such presumptuous language.

Short

To shorten.

Short

To fail; to decrease.

Short

The location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed

Short

Accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference

Short

The fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed between 2nd and 3rd base

Short

Cheat someone by not returning him enough money

Short

Create a short-circuit in

Short

Primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration;
A short life
A short flight
A short holiday
A short story
Only a few short months

Short

Primarily spatial sense; having little length or lacking in length;
Short skirts
Short hair
The board was a foot short
A short toss

Short

Low in stature; not tall;
His was short and stocky
Short in stature
A short smokestack

Short

Not sufficient to meet a need;
An inadequate income
A poor salary
Money is short
On short rations
Food is in short supply
Short on experience

Short

Not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices;
A short sale
Short in cotton

Short

Of speech sounds (especially vowels) of relatively short duration (as e.g. the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt')

Short

Containing a large amount of shortening; therefore tender and easy to crumble or break into flakes;
Shortbread is a short crumbly cookie
A short flaky pie crust

Short

Less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so;
A light pound
A scant cup of sugar
Regularly gives short weight

Short

Used of syllables that are unaccented or of relatively brief duration

Short

(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range;
A short memory

Short

Lacking foresight or scope;
A short view of the problem
Shortsighted policies
Shortsighted critics derided the plan
Myopic thinking

Short

Unwilling to endure;
She was short with the slower students

Short

Quickly aroused to anger;
A hotheaded commander

Short

Most direct;
Took the shortest and most direct route to town

Short

Marked by rude or peremptory shortness;
Try to cultivate a less brusque manner
A curt reply
The salesgirl was very short with him

Short

Quickly and without warning;
He stopped suddenly

Short

Without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold;
He made his fortune by selling short just before the crash

Short

Clean across;
The car's axle snapped short

Short

At some point or distance before a goal is reached;
He fell short of our expectations

Short

So as to interrupt;
She took him up short before he could continue

Short

At a disadvantage;
I was caught short

Short

Tightly;
She caught him up short on his lapel

Short

In a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner;
He told me curtly to get on with it
He talked short with everyone
He said shortly that he didn't like it

Common Curiosities

What does "short" mean in a technical context?

In technical contexts, "short" often refers to an electrical short circuit, meaning a fault in an electrical circuit.

What is the difference between "short" and "shortly"?

"Short" describes length or duration, while "shortly" is an adverb meaning soon or in a brief time.

Can "short" be used in financial terms?

Yes, in finance, to "short" a stock means to sell shares you do not currently own, anticipating that the price will drop.

How does "short" function as an adverb?

As an adverb, "short" describes an action that is cut off or abruptly terminated, as in "the concert fell short of expectations" or "he stopped short of entering the room."

Can "sort" be used figuratively?

Yes, "sort" can be used figuratively, often to describe sorting out thoughts or feelings, as in "sorting through one’s emotions."

What are common contexts for using "sort"?

"Sort" is commonly used in contexts involving organization, such as sorting data, sorting clothes, or sorting mail.

What does "sort" mean when used as a noun?

As a noun, "sort" refers to a category or type of something, as in phrases like "a sort of cake" or "what sort of bird is that?"

How is "sort" used in computing?

In computing, "sort" refers to the process of organizing data in a specific order, such as alphabetical or numerical.

What role does "sort" play in database management?

In database management, "sort" is a crucial function used to order data entries based on one or more criteria, facilitating quicker searches and organized reporting.

How do different cultures use the term "short"?

Cultural usage of "short" may vary, especially in social contexts, where being described as "short" might carry different connotations regarding stature or respect.

Is "short" only used to describe physical dimensions?

No, "short" is also used to describe time, quantities, and manners of communication, such as a short meeting, being short on time, or giving a short reply.

Are there any common idioms or phrases involving "short"?

Yes, common idioms involving "short" include "cutting someone short," "falling short of expectations," and "in short supply," all of which convey the idea of insufficiency or abruptness.

In what contexts is "short" commonly used?

"Short" is commonly used in contexts relating to physical length, time duration, communication styles, and financial trading.

What are the synonyms of "short"?

Synonyms for "short" include brief, concise, curt, and succinct, depending on the context.

What are the synonyms of "sort"?

Synonyms for "sort" as a verb include classify, categorize, organize, and arrange. As a noun, synonyms include type, kind, and variety.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

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