longhand

/ˈlɒŋˌhænd/

//ˈlɒŋˌhænd// noun

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

"longhand" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“longhand” is uncommon English (frequency #95,088 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,088
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.

Key facts for longhand
PropertyValue
Headwordlonghand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɒŋˌhænd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#95,088
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “longhand” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

longhand is uncommon English at frequency #95,088 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɒŋˌhænd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.".

Zero misspellings are on record for longhand in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From long + hand, by analogy with shorthand. The correct English form is longhand, spelled L-O-N-G-H-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.

Etymology

From long + hand, by analogy with shorthand.

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 "longhand"?
"longhand" is spelled L-O-N-G-H-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɒŋˌhænd/.
What does "longhand" mean?
As a noun, "longhand" means: The written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.
How do you pronounce "longhand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "longhand" is /ˈlɒŋˌhænd/. 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 "longhand"?
From long + hand, by analogy with shorthand. 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 “longhand”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-O-N-G-H-A-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɒŋˌhænd/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list