handgun

/ˈhændˌɡʌn/

//ˈhændˌɡʌn// noun

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

"handgun" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“handgun” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,329. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,329
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.

Corpus desk

Index EN-handgun · handgun · English

handgun · rank #18,329 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,329
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Haitian

Nearest frequency peer: Haitian (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “handgun”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “handgun” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

handgun vs handout
71% similar
handgun vs handful
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for handgun
PropertyValue
Headwordhandgun
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhændˌɡʌn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#18,329
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “handgun”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).handgunlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Haitian” (#18,328), “Hara” (#18,330), “Gupta” (#18,327). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “handgun” is #18,329. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around handgun (IPA /ˈhændˌɡʌn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,329 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for handgun, with forms such as "ahndgun", "hadngun", and "handdgun". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "handout", "handful", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From hand + gun. The correct English form is handgun, spelled H-A-N-D-G-U-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how handgun appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9mm handgun and the game.
  2. A related design and marketing innovation has been the sale to civilians of “vest busters,” handguns specifically designed to penetrate body armor.

Etymology

From hand + gun.

This word in other languages

revolver(Français)Pistole(Deutsch)revólver(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahndgun
  • hadngun
  • handdgun
  • handggun
  • handgnu
  • handgunn
  • handugn
  • hangdun
  • hanndgun
  • hhandgun
  • hnadgun

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of handgun - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ahndgun2hadngun2handdgun1handggun1handgnu2handgunn1handugn2hangdun2
Edit distance from "handgun"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "handgun"?
"handgun" is spelled H-A-N-D-G-U-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhændˌɡʌn/.
What does "handgun" mean?
As a noun, "handgun" means: A small gun with a relatively short barrel, designed to be held and operated with a single hand.
What words are commonly confused with "handgun"?
"handgun" is commonly confused with "handout", "handful". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "handgun"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "handgun" is /ˈhændˌɡʌn/. 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 "handgun"?
From hand + gun. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "handgun", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Haitian#18,328goggles#18,322hipster#18,336hostess#18,338

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

flashed11 variantslandfill11 variantsescalate11 variantslighten11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list