underhand
un·der·hand/ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/adjective, adverb, verb, noun
underhand is spelled U-N-D-E-R-H-A-N-D: 9 letters and 3 syllables (un·der·hand). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 53,573rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, underhand means “Secret; clandestine” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in underhand?
| Letters | 9: U-N-D-E-R-H-A-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: un·der·hand |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 53,573rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is underhand?
Underhand appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 53,573rd 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 underhand?
- /ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/
Underhand has 3 syllables, split un·der·hand in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-underhand.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of underhand
- more underhand comparative
- most underhand superlative
- underhands present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- underhanding participle, present
- underhanded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does underhand mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Secret; clandestine.
- 2
Dishonest and sneaky; done in a secret or sly manner.
- 3
Thrown (etc.) with the hand brought forward and up from below.
adverb
- 1
With an underhand movement.
- 2
In a sly, sneaky or secret manner.
verb
- 1
To toss or lob with an underhand movement.
- 2
To trick, deceive or gull.
- 3
To excavate downward in successive steps or horizontal slices while positioned above on unbroken ore.
noun
- 1
The lower of two hands, the hand under the work.
Your underhand should be entirely under the quilt.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Underhand in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense dishonest and sneaky:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sournois |
| German | hinterhältig, heimlich |
| Spanish | solapado |
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 underhand come from?
From under + hand.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).