How to pronounce handful
Say it like HAND-fuul. Handful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HAND).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce handful. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- HAND
- fuul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Handful pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- HANDSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- fuulGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
American vs British pronunciation of handful
American and British speakers say handful in essentially the same way: /ˈhændˌfʊl/ in the US and /ˈhændˌfʊl/ in the UK.
British respelling: HAND-fuul.
What does handful mean?
- a small number or amount“only a handful of responses were received”
- the quantity that can be held in the hand
Where does handful come from?
From Middle English handful, hondful, from Old English handfull (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handufullō, *handufulliz (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handuz (“hand”) + *fullaz (“full”); equivalent to hand + full (“fullness, plenty”) or hand + -ful.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying handful
How do you pronounce handful?
Say HAND-fuul. The American pronunciation is /ˈhændˌfʊl/. In British English it is /ˈhændˌfʊl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in handful?
Handful has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (HAND). Broken into parts: HAND · fuul.
Do Americans and Brits say handful the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈhændˌfʊl/ and the British form is /ˈhændˌfʊl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.