1. A transmitter device for a wireless communication system, the transmitter device comprising: a transceiver configured to receive at least one stream of information bits; and a processor configured to: encode the at least one stream of information bits using at least one error correction code to obtain at least one mother code word having a mother code rate R M ; interleave the at least one mother code word to obtain an interleaved code word, and rate match the interleaved code word, to obtain a shortened code word having a code rate that is higher than the mother code rate R M when the mother code rate R M is smaller than a transmission code rate R Tx associated with the at least one mother code word; rate match the at least one mother code word to obtain an extended code word, and interleave the extended code word, having a code rate that is lower than the mother code rate R M when the mother code rate R M is not smaller than the transmission code rate R Tx associated with the at least one mother code word; and modulate the shortened or extended code word to obtain modulated symbols, and wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a signal comprising the modulated symbols over a radio channel of the wireless communication system.