both-handed

adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"both-handed" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“both-handed” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Skilled or able to use either hand, with unspecified degrees of equalness; ambidextrous.

Key facts for both-handed
PropertyValue
Headwordboth-handed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “both-handed” sits in English frequency

both-handed falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

both-handed is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for both-handed, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From both + handed. The correct English form is both-handed, spelled B-O-T-H---H-A-N-D-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Skilled or able to use either hand, with unspecified degrees of equalness; ambidextrous.
  2. 2
    Denoting either right-handed or left-handed; either-handed.
  3. 3
    For use with both hands or using both hands.
  4. 4
    Involving two sides or approaches

Etymology

From both + handed.

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

How do you spell "both-handed"?
"both-handed" is spelled B-O-T-H---H-A-N-D-E-D.
What does "both-handed" mean?
As an adjective, "both-handed" means: Skilled or able to use either hand, with unspecified degrees of equalness; ambidextrous.
What is the origin of the word "both-handed"?
From both + handed. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “both-handed”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-T-H---H-A-N-D-E-D - 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list