Manual

How to spell manual

6 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce manual

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does manual mean?

1. adjectiveDone with the hands or operated by hand rather than automatically.
2. nounA book of instructions explaining how to use or repair something.

Manual in a sentence

• adjective

  The factory still relies on manual labour for the final inspection.

• noun

  The owner's manual explains how to reset the boiler.

• adjective

  He prefers a manual gearbox to an automatic one.

• noun

  She kept the printer manual in the desk drawer for reference.

Where does manual come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin manualis, meaning 'belonging to the hand', which was built directly on manus, the ordinary Latin word for 'hand'. English took it in through Old French during the late 1300s, and the early uses leaned on the literal idea of work done by hand rather than by machine. The noun sense, a small book held in the hand for ready reference, grew from the same root, since such a guide was meant to be carried and consulted like something kept at hand. The manus root is remarkably productive in English: it also gives us 'manuscript' (written by hand), 'manufacture' (originally made by hand), and 'manage' (to handle). Remembering that hidden 'hand' explains the spelling, since the word keeps the man- of manus followed by the -ual ending rather than the -uel that some writers mistakenly reach for.

How the word is built

• manu- (from Latin manus: hand)
• -al (adjective/noun suffix)