counter for bundles
Used to count bundles of long, thin objects such as firewood, sticks, or noodles. The reading changes to ば or ぱ depending on the preceding number (e.g., いちわ, さんば, ろっぱ).
I bought three bundles of firewood.
I bought one bundle of firewood.
Please boil one bundle of soba noodles.
束 is a general counter for bundles or bunches of almost anything, while 把 is specifically used for bundles of long, thin objects like firewood or noodles.
把 and 羽 share the reading わ but count completely different things: 把 counts bundles of long thin objects, while 羽 counts birds or rabbits.
Standard kanji spelling for the counter for bundles.
Kana spelling is sometimes used in informal or learner contexts.
The kanji 把 originally means 'to grasp' or 'bundle', and its use as a counter derives from the idea of a handful or bundle of items.