Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

handgun

/ˈhændˌɡʌn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.35 in modern English

Syllables: hand-gun
IPA: /ˈhændˌɡʌn/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.

Example Sentences

"Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9mm handgun and the game."
"A related design and marketing innovation has been the sale to civilians of “vest busters,” handguns specifically designed to penetrate body armor."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰéntis Proto-Germanic *gunþiz Old Norse gunnr Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂-der. Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂tís Proto-Germanic *hildiz Old Norse hildr Old Norse Gunnhildrder. Middle English gunne English gun English handgun From hand + gun.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhændˌɡʌn/

Inflected Forms

handguns (plural)

Derived Forms

antihandgun

Frequently Paired Words

rifle long gun air gun firearm gat gun iron piece

Synonyms

pistol[Appendix:Glossary burner heater gat pistol side arm shooting iron

Questions

How do you pronounce handgun?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhændˌɡʌn/.
What does handgun mean?: A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.
Where does handgun come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰéntis Proto-Germanic *gunþiz Old Norse gunnr Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂-der. Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂tís Proto-Germanic *hildiz Old Norse hildr Old Norse Gunnhildrder. Middle English gunne English gun English handgun From hand + gun.

How to pronounce handgun

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “handgun”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhændˌɡʌn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “handgun” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.