secondhand
/ˌsɛk(ə)n(d)ˈhænd/adjective, noun, adverb
secondhand is spelled S-E-C-O-N-D-H-A-N-D: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, secondhand means “Not new; previously owned and used by another” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in secondhand?
| Letters | 10: S-E-C-O-N-D-H-A-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is secondhand?
Secondhand appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th 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 secondhand?
- /ˌsɛk(ə)n(d)ˈhænd/
- /ˈsɛk(ə)n(d)ˌhænd/
Secondhand 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)-Vealhurl-second-hand.wav, En-us-secondhand.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with secondhand
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: second-hand (one word or two), second-handedly.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of secondhand
- second-hand
- second hand
- secondhanded
- second-handed
- 2ndhand
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does secondhand mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not new; previously owned and used by another.
- 2
Dealing in such merchandise.
- 3
Indirect; from a secondary source; not firsthand.
- 4
Inhaled from the air near someone else smoking.
exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarette-smoking colleagues
noun
- 1
Secondhand goods (especially clothes) collectively.
adverb
- 1
In a used or previously-owned condition.
- 2
Indirectly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Secondhand in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | seconde main, occasion, de seconde main |
| German | gebraucht, aus zweiter Hand, secondhand, Secondhand- , Gebraucht- , passiv |
| Portuguese | de segunda mão |
| Spanish | de segunda mano, segunda mano |
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 secondhand come from?
From second + hand.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).