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The <code>short</code> Primitive in Java — 16-bit Integer

Updated on 2026-04-21 Reviewed by the Java With Us editorial team

short is a 16-bit signed integer, range -32 768 to 32 767. In modern code you almost never reach for it — int is the same speed (usually faster, because the JVM aligns to 32 bits) and doesn't overflow as easily.

When it still matters

Only one scenario: large arrays. A short[1_000_000] uses 2 MB; an int[1_000_000] uses 4 MB. For an audio buffer, image pixel channel, or network protocol struct, the memory win justifies the type.

Declaration

short s = 1000;
short max = Short.MAX_VALUE;    // 32767
// short s = 40000;             // ❌ compile error — out of range
short cast = (short) 40000;     // -25536 — wraps silently

Arithmetic promotes to int

short a = 10, b = 20;
short sum = a + b;              // ❌ compile error — result is int
short sum2 = (short) (a + b);    // ✅ cast needed

Common mistakes

  • Using short for "small" values — there's no performance benefit over int and you lose almost half your range.
  • Forgetting the cast on arithmetic results — Java always widens to int.
  • Assuming unsigned behaviour — it's signed. For unsigned 16-bit, use int with a (short) (x & 0xFFFF) pattern.

Related

Pillar: Java primitives. Prefer int in most cases. See also byte.

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