handkerchief vs hanky

handkerchief and hanky both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
handkerchief	Yes	No	No	No
hanky	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, handkerchief and hanky are synonyms defined as:

handkerchief and hanky: a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory

Other synonyms of handkerchief include hankey, hankie.

handkerchief (noun)	hanky (noun)
a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory	a square piece of cloth used for wiping the eyes or nose or as a costume accessory