Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

panhandler

/ˈpæn.hænd.lə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.73 in modern English

Syllables
pan-han-dler
IPA
/ˈpæn.hænd.lə(ɹ)/
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who panhandles; an urban beggar who typically stands on a street with an outstretched container in hand, begging for loose change or money.

Etymology

Obscure. Speculative. Panhandling always seems to involve a container for receiving loose change, so perhaps the term refers to a small handled pan, or to the container as the pan and the arm(s) holding it as the handle. Alternatively, possibly from the notion that the shape of one's outstretched arm in relation to a seated or squatting beggar brings to mind the image of a panhandle.

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈpæn.hænd.lə(ɹ)/

Inflected Forms

panhandlers (plural)

Questions

How do you pronounce panhandler?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpæn.hænd.lə(ɹ)/.
What does panhandler mean?
One who panhandles; an urban beggar who typically stands on a street with an outstretched container in hand, begging for loose change or money.
Where does panhandler come from?
Obscure. Speculative. Panhandling always seems to involve a container for receiving loose change, so perhaps the term refers to a small handled pan, or to the container as the pan and the arm(s) holding it as the handle. Alternatively, possibly from the notion that the shape of one's outstretched arm in relation to a seated or squatting beggar brings to mind the image of a panhandle.

How to pronounce panhandler

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “panhandler”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpæn.hænd.lə(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “panhandler”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “panhandler” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.