hanky vs handkerchief

hanky and handkerchief both are nouns.

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

As nouns, hanky and handkerchief are synonyms defined as:

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

Other synonyms of hanky include hankey, hankie.

hanky (noun)	handkerchief (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