handhold
noun, verb
handhold is spelled H-A-N-D-H-O-L-D: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 14 million words in written English, the 111,684th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, handhold means “A projection that one may hold onto for support, e.g. in mountain climbing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of handhold is handholds.
How many letters and syllables are in handhold?
| Letters | 8: H-A-N-D-H-O-L-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 14 million words; the 111,684th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is handhold?
Handhold appears about once in every 14 million words in written English, the 111,684th 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 handhold?
Handhold 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).
Forms of handhold
- handholds plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- handholding participle, present
- handheld participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does handhold mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A projection that one may hold onto for support, e.g. in mountain climbing.
- 2
An act of holding hands.
- 3
The manner in which dancers hold each other's hands during a dance.
verb
- 1
Alternative form of hand-hold.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Handhold in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense projection to hold:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | poignée |
| Spanish | agarradera, asidero |
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 handhold come from?
From hand + hold.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).