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American Sign Language uses one-handed signals to form the letters in the alphabet. It’s easy to learn and useful to know. You can use fingerspelling to spell out words that you don’t know the sign for yet. Take it slow and practice one chunk of the alphabet at a time. Build up with practice until you can fingerspell the whole alphabet in sequence.
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Make a fist with your thumb pointing up to form an “A.” Hold your hand in front of you with your palm facing forward. Close your fingers in a fist, but keep your thumb pressed against the side of your hand and pointing upwards. This is the letter “A.” [2] X Research source
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Hold your fingers together with your thumb across your palm for “B.” Extend your fingers so they are straight. Bring them in close to each other so they are touching on the sides. Then, fold your thumb across the front of your palm and hold it there. This is the letter “B.” [3] X Research source
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Curl your whole hand into the shape of a "C". Turn your right hand so that your palm is facing towards the left. Then, curl your fingers and thumb to form a half circle or backward “C.” Hold your hand still. This is the letter “C.” [4] X Research source
Tip : Turn your hand sideways when you're signing the letters "C", "G", "H", and "O".
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Touch your fingertips to your thumb and point to make a “D”. Touch the tip of your thumb to every finger except your index finger. Then, point your index finger straight up. Hold your hand still with your palm facing forward. This is the letter “D.” [5] X Research source
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Form the letter “B” and curl your fingertips down to make an “E.” Bend all four fingers down to meet your thumb. Press the tips of your fingers against the side of your thumb. This is the letter “E.” [6] X Research source
- Keep your thumb and fingertips close to your palm. Otherwise, it might look like an “O" or "C."
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Press your index finger and thumb together with straight fingers for “F.” Keep your other 3 fingers straight. This is the letter “F.”
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Point your index finger and turn your hand to the side to make a “G.” Gather your fingers in towards your palm to make a fist. Then, extend your index finger and rest your thumb against your middle finger. Keep your thumb about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) from your palm so that it is parallel to your index finger. Angle your hand so that your palm is facing you and your index finger is pointing to your left. This is the letter “G.” [7] X Research source
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Stick out your middle and index fingers to form an “H.” Keep your hand in the same position as it was for the letter “G,” but extend your middle finger as well. Hold your middle finger so it’s right next to your index finger. Angle your hand so that your palm is facing you and your index and middle fingers are pointing to your left. This is the letter “H.” [8] X Research source
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Point your pinkie straight up to make an “I.” Form a fist and poke your pinkie finger straight up. This is the letter “I.” [9] X Research source
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Use your pinkie to draw the shape of a "J". With your hand still in the position for the letter “I,” bring your finger down and then swoop it upwards in the shape of a letter “J.” Do this multiple times if you want to create multiple Js, or just once for one letter J. [10] X Research source
- Keep your palm facing away from you as you do this.
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Point the index and middle fingers with a thumb between them for “K.” Press your ring finger and pinkie finger against your palm. Hold your index and middle finger so they are straight up but spread apart in the shape of a V. Then, press your thumb against your palm so that the tip of your thumb is between your index and middle finger near where they meet your hand. This is a “K.” [11] X Research source
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Form an L-shape with your thumb and index finger to make an “L.” Press your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers against your palm as you form an L-shape with your index finger and thumb. This is the letter “L.” [12] X Research source
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Hold an invisible ball and poke your thumb through for "M." Curl your fingers down towards your palm with your thumb between your index and middle finger. Hold your fingers like you’re wrapping them around a ball. Then, poke your thumb between your ring and pinky finger. This is how you make an “M.” [13] X Research source
Tip : On letters "M", "N", and "T", make the fingers on top of the thumb obviously higher than the others to make for easy interpreting.
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Poke your thumb between your middle and ring finger for “N.” Curl your fingers as if they’re holding a ball. Then, push the tip of your thumb between your middle and ring fingers. This is an “N.” [14] X Research source
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Make an "O" with your fingers and thumb. Press the tips of your fingers and thumb together. This is the letter “O.” [15] X Research source
- Some people may turn their hand slightly to show the "O" formed by the fingers to differentiate it from "E".
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Press your thumb against your middle finger with index pointed for “P.” Press your ring finger and pinkie finger against your palm. Then, extend your index finger as if you're pointing at something. Extend your middle finger so it's pointing down and touch it with your thumb. This is the letter “P.” [16] X Research source
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Make the sign for a “G” and then point down for a “Q.” Press your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers against your palm and point with your index finger. Then, rest your thumb on top of your middle finger so that it is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) from your index finger. Then, point down with your hand in this position. This is the letter “Q.”
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Cross your index finger over your middle finger for an “R.” Press your ring finger, pinkie, and thumb against your palm. Then, wrap your middle finger around the back of your index finger. Hold your hand still with your palm facing forward. This is the letter “R.” [17] X Research source
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Make a fist and put your thumb on top of your fingers for an “S.” This is often confused with "A" so pay careful attention to the thumb position. Press your fingers against your palm and wrap your thumb over them. This is the letter “S.” [18] X Research source
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Form a fist with your thumb between the middle and index finger for “T.” Press your fingers against your palm. Then, push your thumb up between your index and middle finger. This is the letter “T.” [19] X Research source
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Point your middle and index fingers upwards together to make “U.” Press your thumb, ring finger, and pinkie finger against your palm. Then, point your middle and index finger straight up and hold them against each other. This is the letter “U.” [20] X Research source
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Make a "U" and separate your fingers for a “V.” With your hand in the “U” position, spread your fingers apart. This is the letter “V.” Make sure to keep your ring finger, pinkie, and thumb pressed against your palm. [21] X Research source
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Hold up 3 fingers and spread them apart to form “W.” Press your pinkie finger to your palm using your thumb. Then, hold up your index, middle, and ring fingers and spread them apart so that they look like the letter “W.” This is a “W.” [22] X Research source
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Make a fist, then raise and crook your index finger to make “X.” Press your thumb against your palm and then wrap your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers over it. Curl your index finger. This is the letter “X.” [23] X Research source
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Stick out your pinkie and thumb for a “Y.” Press your other fingers against your palm. This is the letter “Y.” [24] X Research source
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Write the letter “Z” in the air with your index finger. Form the letter "D", with your index finger out, and write a letter “Z” in the air.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIs there a universal sign language?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerNo, different countries or regions have different forms of sign language. For example, if you try to use ASL the U.K., people who have learned British Sign Language (BSL) might not understand you. However, some countries have adopted features from other countries’ sign languages.
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QuestionWhy is fingerspelling important in ASL?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerFingerspelling is helpful if you don’t know a sign for an individual word or if you want to spell out a personal name. Researchers from the NSF Science of Learning Centers have also found that fingerspelling is important for helping Deaf children develop strong reading and writing skills.
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QuestionIs fingerspelling the same as sign language?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerFingerspelling is just one component of sign language. It allows you to spell out words using individual letters. Other signs are used to represent entire words.
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Tips
- Practice this every day for a while, then go on and try to learn the actual signs to words.Thanks
- When you're first learning, take chunks of it (like A, B, C, D, E) and practice it the whole day. The next day, take another chunk (this time F, G, H, I, J) and add it on to yesterday's chunk.Thanks
- It is imperative to meet and sign with Deaf people to get a feel for how they sign and finger-spell. By interaction, you can more easily learn the "accent" or "dialect" used in your area. Depending on where you are in the USA, different signs and different forms may be used.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://aslrochelle.com/blog/how-to-fingerspell-double-letters-in-asl
- ↑ https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/
- ↑ https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/
- ↑ https://frdat.niagara.edu/assets/Disability-Handouts/ASL-alphabet.pdf
- ↑ https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/
- ↑ https://frdat.niagara.edu/assets/Disability-Handouts/ASL-alphabet.pdf
- ↑ https://www.british-sign.co.uk/fingerspelling-alphabet-charts/
- ↑ https://www.signlanguageforum.com/asl/fingerspelling/alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.signlanguageforum.com/asl/fingerspelling/alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.signlanguageforum.com/asl/fingerspelling/alphabet/
- ↑ https://frdat.niagara.edu/assets/Disability-Handouts/ASL-alphabet.pdf
- ↑ https://www.signlanguageforum.com/asl/fingerspelling/alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm
- ↑ https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm
- ↑ https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm
- ↑ https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm
- ↑ https://www.startasl.com/american-sign-language-alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.startasl.com/american-sign-language-alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.startasl.com/american-sign-language-alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.startasl.com/american-sign-language-alphabet/
- ↑ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
- ↑ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
- ↑ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
- ↑ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language
About This Article
Article Summary
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ASL, or American Sign Language, is a non-verbal form of communication, where words and ideas are expressed primarily with hand gestures called "signs." To sign with your hands, you'll need to start by learning the alphabet in ASL, as well as the proper form and etiquette for spelling with your fingers. When you're signing a letter, for example, your fist should be facing the person you're signing, with the exception of "G," "C," "O," and "H." While some of the signs, like "C" and "L," look like their letters, others look very different, so you may want to spend extra time working on those. Some of the signs also include motions, while others don’t. For example, to sign the letter “J,” you would stick out your pinkie and twist it inwards in the shape of a "J." To learn more, including how to position your hand and wrist when you’re signing the alphabet, read on!
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