Q&A for How to Sign Your Name in American Sign Language

If you can't find a group in your area, try online. Lifeprint.com is great place to go to for beginners.

C- Take your hand and, quite literally, make a "C". Y- Make a fist, but stick your thumb and pinkie out. N- Again, make a fist, but with you thumb stick it under your pointer and middle finger and stick it out between your ring and middle finger. T- Like the "N", you make a fist, but this time you put it under only your pointer finger and stick it out between your pointer and middle finger. H- You just point your pointer and middle finger out and put your thumb over it. I- Make a fist, but stick your pinkie out. A- Just a fist.

For an E- Hold your hand up and curl your fingers (not to a fist but as if looking at your nails) then turn your hand outwards. For an L- Place your hand into a fist and extend your thumb and pointer finger into an "L" shape. and for an A- Hold your hand in a fist with your thumb to the side.

K- Make a fist, but extend your index finger, middle finger, and thumb upward. Connect your thumb to the base of your middle finger. Your middle finger should be at a slight slant. A- Make a fist, and rest your thumb at the side. I- Make a fist, but extend your pinky. T- Tuck your thumb under your index finger while making a fist. L- Make a fist. Extend your thumb outward and your index finger upward, in the shape of an L. Y- Make a fist and extend your thumb and pinky outward, like the universal sign for a phone. N- Make a fist but tuck your thumb under your index and middle fingers.

T- Hold your hand in a fist and tuck your thumb under your index finger. A- Make a fist, with your thumb resting at the side. R- Extend your middle and index fingers upward and loosely cross the two fingers. Y- Form a fist. Extend your thumb and pinky fingers outward. N- Form a fist. Tuck your thumb under your index and middle fingers.

If you are a deaf person, then you can make up your sign name, but if you are hearing and able to speak then you should talk to her and have her create your sign name.

You spell it out. If you don't fully know your sign alphabet, you would need to study that, make sure you have smooth (but sharp) hand movements and that you're able to do it without looking at any sign pictures.

H: hold your index and middle finger together sideways. The ring finger and pinkie should be held with your thumb behind. O: make an 'O' shape with your hand, using all fingers. L: create an 'L' shape with your index finger and thumb. Since the 'L' repeats, move the 'L' slightly up and down once to symbolize that it repeats. Y: stick out your thumb and pinkie fingers as if you were a surfer.

A - make a fist with your thumb on the outside. L - make your index finger and thumb into a L shape with the other fingers down. I - make a fist and put up your pinkie. C - make a C shape with your whole hand. I - make a fist and put up your pinkie. A - make a fist with your thumb on the outside.

J- Stick your pinky upward while making a fist. Then, swoop your hand, pinky first, in a downward and hooked motion. A- Make a fist, and rest your thumb at the side. S- Make a fist, with your thumb resting across your fingers. (So basically, a normal fist.) M- Make a fist but tuck your thumb underneath your index, middle, and ring fingers. I- Make a fist, but stick your finger upward. N- Make a fist and tuck your thumb underneath your index and middle fingers. E- Make a palm. Curl your thumb inwards, so that it bends at the knuckle. Curl your fingers so that they curl at the top knuckles. It should like you are checking out your nails.

Spell it out using the signs for individual letters.

Yes. However, if someone doesn't know sign language, it can be confusing.

A- make a fist with your thumb pointing to the ceiling, L- make an L with your thumb and forefinger, E- curl your fingers as if you are making a c and then bend your thumb towards your palm, X- cross your index and middle fingers, I- make a fist with your pinky towards the ceiling, and S- put your thumb between your index and middle fingers.

To "speak" to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

E - take a vertical flat hand, palm facing out, then curl your thumb inward across your palm. Curl your fingers downward and rest them on top of your thumb. L - make an L with your index finger and thumb, your other fingers curled in. I - make a fist and stick up your pinky finger. J - take the shape you just used for the I and swoop it in a J shape. A - make a fist, but with your thumb beside your fingers instead of in front. H - point your index and middle fingers toward your left, keeping them together, and folding your other fingers in. The back of your hand should be facing away from you. All shapes except the H should be done with your palm facing away from your body. If you're having trouble understanding these explanations, search for a guide to finger spelling the alphabet.

Sign language is a system of letters that are "spoken" (signed) using your hands. It's meant to communicate with those who cannot hear or speak.

Put your hand out flat with your fingers together. Put your hand next to your forehead, then pull it away in a salute type of movement.

You can try to introduce yourself using that name sign, but be sure you clarify that it is from your old home. The deaf community where you move may want to change your sign if it is already being used, or doesn’t seem fitting.

Yes, you can.

You wave your hand like normal. You put all four fingers together, and your thumb is pointing toward your head.

There is no "to be" verb, like is, was, were, am.

Mouthing (or speaking) along can be helpful, especially for lip readers. Mouth the whole word instead of individual letters. Doing this makes it easier to understand what the word is.

For the K, start by making the letter V (similar to the so-called peace sign) and insert your thumb in between the two fingers). For the I, hold up your pinkie and put your other three fingers down, your thumb resting over your middle finger. For the M, clasp your thumb over your pinkie; then draw the other three fingers over your thumb.