What does handiwork mean?
Word: Handiwork
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Handiwork means work done skilfully by hand, or something that a particular person has made or done.
Synonyms: craftsmanship
How do you spell handiwork?
Syllables: han - di - work
Tricky part: The middle letter is i, even though the first part sounds like handy: handywork is wrong.
Watch out for: handywork, handy work
Memory tip: Think of the sentence 'I made it with my own hands': the I in that sentence is the i in the middle of handiwork.
Handiwork in a sentence
Example 1: The quilt on my bed is my grandmother's handiwork.
Example 2: The sandcastle was the handiwork of three cousins.
Example 3: Ravi stood back to admire his handiwork: a shelf that was finally straight.
Fun Fact
Handiwork comes from Old English handgeweorc; the i in the middle is what is left of the old ge-, not the word handy.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The carved wooden elephants sold at the fair were the handiwerk of a single family of woodcarvers from a nearby village.
a) woodcarvers
b) handiwerk
c) carved
d) elephants
Show answer
b) handiwerk. The last part is the ordinary word work, with an o.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word handiwork as used in the sentence:
The beautiful painting by the front door was Kavya's handiwork.
a) rental
b) accident
c) creation
d) purchase
Show answer
c) creation. If the painting is her handiwork, she made it herself: it is her creation, not something she bought or rented.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
This neat bookshelf is the oknardhwi of my grandfather, who built it from old packing crates.
a) handiwork
b) framework
c) homework
d) waterworks
Show answer
a) handiwork. Homework has no a, d or i, framework needs an f, an m and a second r, and waterworks a t, an e and an s.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word in the list.
1. artisen 2. handiwork 3. scuplture 4. mozaic
a) a thing you have made or done yourself
b) a picture made from small pieces of coloured stone or glass
c) a skilled worker who makes things by hand
d) a figure carved or shaped from stone, wood or metal
Show answer
a) a thing you have made or done yourself. Sculpture has lp before the t, artisan ends in an, and mosaic has an s.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence uses handiwork correctly?
a) He spoke so handiwork that we all laughed.
b) The weather turned handiwork by the afternoon.
c) Please handiwork these letters before the post goes.
d) The neat stitches on the cushion are Grandma's handiwork.
Show answer
d) The neat stitches on the cushion are Grandma's handiwork.
2. Someone who is proud of their handiwork is proud of ____.
a) a gift from a relative
b) a book they borrowed
c) the result of their own effort
d) a prize won by a friend
Show answer
c) the result of their own effort
