Pronunciation

How to pronounce “handles

“handles” is pronounced /ˈhændəlz/ (HAN-duhlz) in American English and /handəlz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “hand”.
The sound

Say “handles” in 2 beats

Say it like this

handles

/ˈhændəlz/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /handəlz/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. handhænstress
  2. lesdəlz
IPA (American)
/ˈhændəlz/
IPA (British)
/handəlz/
Respelling
HAN-duhlz
Syllables
2 — HAND-les
Stress
Stress the first syllable: HAND-les. “hand” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈhændəlz/

British

/handəlz/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “handles” means

  1. noun

    the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it

    he grabbed the hammer by the handle

  2. verb

    be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

    I can deal with this crew of workers

  3. verb

    interact in a certain way

    Do right by her

Say it in a sentence

Both handles came off the old suitcase at the airport.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

7 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

handles”, answered

How do you pronounce “handles”?

“handles” is pronounced /ˈhændəlz/ (HAN-duhlz) in American English and /handəlz/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “hand”. Build it as HAND-les, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “handles” have?

2: hand · les. The beat lands on the first, “hand”.

Is “handles” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈhændəlz/ (HAN-duhlz); British English says /handəlz/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “handles” mean?

As a noun: the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it For example: “he grabbed the hammer by the handle” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “handles”?

Stress the first syllable: HAND-les. “hand” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “handles” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.