underhand

/ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/

//ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“underhand” is uncommon English (frequency #53,929 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,929
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Secret; clandestine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-underhand · underhand · English

underhand · rank #53,929 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,929
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ummah

Nearest frequency peer: ummah (-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 “underhand”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for underhand
PropertyValue
Headwordunderhand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#53,929
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “underhand” 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).underhandfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “ummah” (#53,928), “UDC” (#53,927), “undifferentiated” (#53,931). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “underhand” is #53,929. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

underhand is uncommon English at frequency #53,929 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

underhand has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From under + hand. The correct English form is underhand, spelled U-N-D-E-R-H-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Secret; clandestine.
  2. 2
    Dishonest and sneaky; done in a secret or sly manner.
  3. 3
    Thrown (etc.) with the hand brought forward and up from below.

Etymology

From under + hand.

Synonyms

underhandedunderarm

This word in other languages

solapado(Español)sournois(Français)hinterhältig(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 "underhand"?
"underhand" is spelled U-N-D-E-R-H-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/.
What does "underhand" mean?
As an adjective, "underhand" means: Secret; clandestine.
How do you pronounce "underhand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "underhand" is /ˈʌn.də(ɹ)ˌ(h)ænd/. 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 "underhand"?
From under + hand. 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 "underhand", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Trondheim#53,923triennial#53,921Vladislav#53,941wherewith#53,953

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list