backhander
"backhander" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“backhander” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A glass of wine given out of turn, the bottle having been handed backwards.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | backhander |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “backhander” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for backhander is 10 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for backhander in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From backhand + -er (patient suffix) or -er (agent noun suffix). The correct English form is backhander, spelled B-A-C-K-H-A-N-D-E-R.
Definition
- 1A glass of wine given out of turn, the bottle having been handed backwards.
- 2A blow with the back of the hand.
- 3A bribe, a secret payment.
- 4A shot played backhand, a backhand stroke.
- 5A player who plays a backhand shot.
- 6A surfer who approaches a swell with the wave behind them ("on their backhand") rather than facing the wave ("on their forehand").
Etymology
From backhand + -er (patient suffix) or -er (agent noun suffix).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “backhander”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-C-K-H-A-N-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.