manhandle

/ˈmænˌhæn.dəl/

//ˈmænˌhæn.dəl// verb

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

"manhandle" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“manhandle” is uncommon English (frequency #95,110 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,110
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move something heavy by force of men, without aid of levers, pulleys, machine, or tackles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-manhandle · manhandle · English

manhandle · rank #95,110 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #95,110
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Marilla

Nearest frequency peer: Marilla (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “manhandle”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “manhandle” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for manhandle
PropertyValue
Headwordmanhandle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmænˌhæn.dəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#95,110
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “manhandle” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Marilla” (#95,111), “malnourishment” (#95,108), “makai” (#95,105). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “manhandle” is #95,110. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

manhandle is uncommon English at frequency #95,110 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈmænˌhæn.dəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for manhandle, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English manne-handlen, man handelen, equivalent to man (“male person”) + handle. The correct English form is manhandle, spelled M-A-N-H-A-N-D-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move something heavy by force of men, without aid of levers, pulleys, machine, or tackles.
  2. 2
    To assault or beat up a person.
  3. 3
    To mishandle; to handle roughly; to mangle.
  4. 4
    To control (a machine, vehicle, situation, etc.) by means of physical strength.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I see him—Tom—on horse-block standing, Trumpet at mouth, thrown up all amain, An elephant's bugle, vociferous demanding Of topmen aloft in the hurricane of rain, "Letting that sail there your faces flog? Manhandle it, men, and you'll get the good grog!"
  2. The polls were guarded by bullies who did not hesitate at command to manhandle any decent citizen indicated by the local leaders.

Etymology

From Middle English manne-handlen, man handelen, equivalent to man (“male person”) + handle.

Antonyms

womanhandle

This word in other languages

maltratar(Español)malmener(Français)angreifen(Deutsch)

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 "manhandle"?
"manhandle" is spelled M-A-N-H-A-N-D-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmænˌhæn.dəl/.
What does "manhandle" mean?
As a verb, "manhandle" means: To move something heavy by force of men, without aid of levers, pulleys, machine, or tackles.
How do you pronounce "manhandle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "manhandle" is /ˈmænˌhæn.dəl/. 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 "manhandle"?
From Middle English manne-handlen, man handelen, equivalent to man (“male person”) + handle. 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 "manhandle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Mendeleev#95,128Minnehaha#95,144molluscan#95,151multipath#95,166

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list