mishandle
/mɪsˈhændəl/verb, noun
mishandle is spelled M-I-S-H-A-N-D-L-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 133,440th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, mishandle means “To manipulate something roughly, causing physical damage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mishandle?
| Letters | 9: M-I-S-H-A-N-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 19 million words; the 133,440th 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 mishandle?
Mishandle appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 133,440th 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 mishandle?
- /mɪsˈhændəl/
Mishandle has 3 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-mishandle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mishandle
- mishandles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- mishandling participle, present
- mishandled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mishandle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To manipulate something roughly, causing physical damage.
If you mishandle a fragile package, the contents may break.
- 2
To deal with a situation incorrectly or ineffectively; to make a mistake in handling a situation.
The prime minister was accused of mishandling the diplomatic crisis.
noun
- 1
Rough manipulation which causes physical damage.
- 2
Ineffective or incorrect deal.
- 3
Improper, wrong, or bad usage or treatment; abuse.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mishandle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense deal with incorrectly:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | llevar mal |
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 mishandle come from?
From Middle English mishandlen, equivalent to mis- + handle. Cognate with Saterland Frisian mishondelje, West Frisian mishandelje, Dutch mishandelen (“to mistreat”), German misshandeln (“to mistreat”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).