Pronunciation: [hˈandfə͡lz] (IPA) 
The word "handfuls" is spelled with six letters and three syllables. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is written as /ˈhændfʊlz/ which shows its pronunciation as "hand-fuls" with a silent "d" at the end. The "a" in "hand" and "u" in "fuls" are pronounced as short sounds. "Handfuls" is a noun that refers to an amount that can be held in one hand. It is a plural form of the word "handful" indicating multiple amounts.
Handfuls is the plural form of the noun handful. A handful refers to the amount that can be held by one hand when fingers are closed together. It is often used figuratively to describe a small or limited amount of something.
In a literal sense, a handful represents the quantity one person's hand can easily grasp or hold. It is commonly used to express the size or measurement of objects that are small enough to be contained within the hand. For example, if someone were collecting pebbles on a beach, they might say, "I picked up handfuls of colorful stones."
Figuratively, handfuls are used to convey a limited or manageable amount of something. This can be applied to abstract concepts, such as problems or tasks. For instance, if one were overwhelmed with their workload, they might say, "I have a handful of assignments to complete by tomorrow."
The term handfuls can also refer to a group of people or things that are challenging to manage or control. This usage suggests that the group is unruly or difficult to handle. For example, a teacher might refer to a rowdy group of students as "a handful."
Overall, handfuls represent a quantity or group that is small enough to be encompassed by the hand or that presents a challenge to control or handle.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "handfuls" is derived from the combination of two words: "hand" and "full".
The word "hand" comes from the Old English word "hand" which has Germanic roots related to the Gothic word "handus" and the Old Norse word "hand". These ancient words all share a common origin and refer to the physical body part, the hand.
The term "full" comes from the Old English word "full", also of Germanic origin. It is related to the Old High German word "fol", Old Norse word "fullr", and Gothic word "fulls", all meaning "full or abundant".
When these two words are combined, "handfuls" refers to the amount or quantity that can be held or contained in a single hand, emphasizing the idea of fullness or completeness.
