handbag
/ˈhændˌbæɡ/noun, verb
handbag is spelled H-A-N-D-B-A-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,687th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, handbag means “A small bag used chiefly by women for carrying various small personal items, sometimes considered as a fashion accessory” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of handbag is handbags.
How many letters and syllables are in handbag?
| Letters | 7: H-A-N-D-B-A-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.6 times per million words; the 16,687th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is handbag?
Handbag appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,687th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce handbag?
- US /ˈhændˌbæɡ/
- US /ˈhæm.bəɡ/
Handbag has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-handbag.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with handbag?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as handbag from its last stressed vowel (/ændbæɡ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of handbag
- handbags plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- handbagging participle, present
- handbagged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does handbag mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicA small bag carried in the hand, used either when travelling or to carry tools for a specific job.
- 2
CommonwealthA small bag used chiefly by women for carrying various small personal items, sometimes considered as a fashion accessory.
- 3
Ellipsis of handbag house.
verb
- 1
UKTo attack verbally or subject to criticism (typically used of a woman).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Handbag in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense small bag carried in the hand:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sac à main, sacoche |
| German | Handtasche |
| Portuguese | bolsa, mala |
| Spanish | bolsa, bolso, bulto, cartera |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does handbag come from?
From hand + bag. The music genre is named from women dancing around a pile of their handbags in nightclubs. The verb is a reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).