hand in hand

/ˌhændɪnˈhænd/

//ˌhændɪnˈhænd// adv

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

"hand-in-hand" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Holding or clasping hands.

Key facts for hand in hand
PropertyValue
Headwordhand in hand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌhændɪnˈhænd/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hand in hand” sits in English frequency

hand in hand 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

hand in hand is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˌhændɪnˈhænd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

hand in hand has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Dates back at least to Old English hand on handa, of the same meaning. The correct English form is hand in hand, spelled H-A-N-D- -I-N- -H-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Holding or clasping hands.
  2. 2
    Naturally, ordinarily or predictably together; commonly having a correlation or relationship.
  3. 3
    Just; fair; equitable.

Etymology

Dates back at least to Old English hand on handa, of the same meaning.

This word in other languages

de la mano(Español)main dans la main(Français)

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 "hand in hand"?
"hand in hand" is spelled H-A-N-D- -I-N- -H-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌhændɪnˈhænd/.
What does "hand in hand" mean?
As an adverb, "hand in hand" means: Holding or clasping hands.
How do you pronounce "hand in hand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hand in hand" is /ˌhændɪnˈhænd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hand in hand"?
Dates back at least to Old English hand on handa, of the same meaning. 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 “hand in hand”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-N-D- -I-N- -H-A-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌhændɪnˈhænd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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