In the word 'SHORTCOMING', how many pairs of letters have the same number of letters between them (both forward and backward) as in the English alphabet?

Explanation

SHORTCOMING — check pairs: S-H(gap 1 in word vs 1 in alpha? S=19,H=8, diff=11 but positions 1,2 in word gap=0). Valid pairs where |alpha_pos_diff| = |word_pos_diff|: S(19)&T;(20)—positions 1&5(diff 4)≠1. H(8)&I;(9)—positions 2&9? H is at 2, I is at 9 in word, diff=7≠1. O&R;: O(15),R(18),diff=3; word positions 3&7,diff=4 ✗. Multiple pairs work on both directions: answer is more than four.