Signing Savvy, Your Sign Language Resource

One of the first concepts covered in beginning or basic sign language classes is Fingerspelling. There are a few common mistakes that are made by many beginner signers related to fingerspelling. Hopefully you can recognize them in your own practice and avoid making bad habits that are difficult to break.

Signing Space When Fingerspelling

First of all, the misuse of sign space is a common mistake, specifically as it is related to fingerspelling. Yes, we have an imaginary box around us, almost like a television set that is just inches above our heads and goes off to either sides of our bodies, and then ends around our waists.

However, that does not mean that all that space is fair game for fingerspelling. For right handed signers (right dominant), fingerspelling should be done in the area to the right of center of the chest. For left handed signers (left dominant), fingerspelling should be done in the area to the left of center. It should be out away from the body about 6-8 inches (not too far and not too close) and your letters should not be "thrown forward" or bounced up and down within that area.

The Directional Movement While Fingerspelling

When spelling double letters or starting a new word, you should slide away from the center of your body. That is, if you are right dominant, move outward from left to right just like you were reading a book. If you are left dominant, move outward from right to left which is actually backwards from the way you read. In both cases, DON'T move back towards the center of the body. Many new signers do this and it looks so awkward to seasoned signers, they can see the mistake immediately.

Common Formation Mistakes When Fingerspelling

There are several common letter formation mistakes that new signers make. Here are a few examples to watch out for.

The letter Z is produced with the index finger NOT the little finger.

This seems to be a misconception that started with incorrect information and then caught hold with some people, but it is INCORRECT! The letter Z is produced with the index finger.

Use a closed E, instead of an open or "screaming" E.

The letter E should be closed (as shown below) with the finger tips tight against the hand, not opened. An open E is sometimes called a “screaming E” because it looks like an open mouth that is screaming. This is not horrible, but it is something native signers will notice as sloppy form.

The screaming E has a tighter grip at the top of the fingers with the tips pulled back very tight against the lower part of the fingers, where the correct E (with the tips resting just over the horizontal thumb) are much loser of a grip and much more comfortable.
Because you have to pull the fingertips back much tighter to make the screaming E, it slows down the flow of the signing.

Point your fingers straight out over the thumb for letters M and N.

Other letters that can slow you down when fingerspelling if done too “tight” are the letters M and N.  You will often see the fingers on the M and N folded over tight over the thumb.  Again, this isn’t really wrong, as much as unnecessary.  If your fingers are this tight over the thumb, it slows you down in your fingerspelling as you become more fluent.  Leaving the fingers pointing straight out over the thumb frees up the hand to make faster movements while fingerspelling.

M Play Loop (on) Example "M" handshape.

N Play Loop (on) Example "N" handshape.

Do not use a flat hand when signing the letter O.

When signing the letter O, use a rounded O shape and do not make a flat O.

The letters O and C should face forward.

Another common mistake is that the letters O and C are turned to the side rather than facing outward like they should be. I think because many books will show a side or slightly turned angle of the hand in order for people to get the correct hand shape, people think that the turned O and C are the way to actually sign them. This is not correct. See the proper way below.

O Play Loop (on) Example "O" handshape.

C Play Loop (on) Example "C" handshape.

The letters K and P should face forward.

The letters K and P also run into that same issue. New signers want to turn them as they see them presented in books and they end up looking very awkward and uncomfortable to sign. Get the K-hand as it should be, facing forward, and then to go to the P-hand, just drop the wrist. The change from a K to a P is all wrist, nothing else.

K Play Loop (on) Example "K" handshape.

P Play Loop (on) Example "P" handshape.

The letters G and H should be turned sideways (so the palm faces the body).

Many books will show these letters from a different angle in an attempt to show the handshapes better. The letters G and H should be turned sideways (so the palm faces the body). See the examples below.

G Play Loop (on) Example "G" handshape.

H Play Loop (on) Example "H" handshape.

Don’t Read the Letter Names, Sound It Out

Whether it is you signing the letters yourself (expressive skills), or you reading others fingerspelling (receptive skills), you need to think of the sounds that are connected to those letters, and NOT the letter name itself. This will help you to be able to figure out the words better down the road as you are trying to read bigger and bigger words. You may miss a letter, but if you have been saying the sounds in your head, you will more than likely be able to figure out the word.

Try it! In the example below, don’t spell out each letter as they are signed, sound out the word.

Reference Sheets to Help You Remember Fingerspelling

This article is part of our “Signs That Are Close... But Not the Same” series, which highlights signs that look similar, but have different meanings.

Hello! Brenda Cartwright (BC) here. Let's continue on the fun topic of: “Signs That Are Close... But Not the Same.”

The ASL signs shown below look similar, but are not the same. There are many ASL signs that when produced look similar, but in fact have a completely different meaning. Below you will find examples of such signs. Watch closely to see if you can see the difference. In addition, watch my eyebrows, look to see when I tilt my head or lean my body in a certain way, even what my mouth is doing. These nuances are called inflections and trust me, inflections matter. Enjoy!

1. Brain vs. Think

It is easy to see the difference between BRAIN and THINK since they use different handshapes - BRAIN uses the X-hand to tap twice on the side of your head, while THINK uses the 1-hand to make a swift movement to point at your head. However, remembering which is signed which way, can be a challenge! For BRAIN you tap where your brain is, confirming it is in there, while you point to where you’re thinking takes place just as swiftly as you might get an idea.

Brain Play Loop (on)

Think Play Loop (on)

2. Color vs. Friendly

COLOR and FRIENDLY both use the open 5-hand. COLOR is signed with one 5-hand at the chin with your fingers making a wiggling motion. Think about your wiggling fingers representing the colors in a rainbow when signing COLOR. FRIENDLY is signed with two 5-hands with wiggling fingers moving up and away from the face; the movement suggests a generous smile that accompanies a friendly person.

Color Play Loop (on)

Friendly Play Loop (on)

3. Oh I See vs. Yellow

OH I SEE and YELLOW both use a single, dominant Y-hand. To sign OH I SEE, the palm is out and makes an up and down movement. OH I SEE is like signing THAT multiple times because the meaning is that you are emphasizing you see or understand “that.” YELLOW is signed like many of the other color signs, such as BLUE, GREEN, and PURPLE, with the palm facing more towards the body and making a twisting motion.

Oh I See Play Loop (on)

Yellow Play Loop (on)

4. History vs. Hard of Hearing

The dominate H-hand is used when signing both HISTORY and HARD OF HEARING. To sign HISTORY, the H-hand bounces up and down slightly two times. You can remember HISTORY moves twice in the same spot by thinking of history being cyclical over time and repeating itself.

HARD OF HEARING also has the H-hand move two times, but it moves down from your non-dominant side and then shifts over to move down again closer to your dominant side. This movement from your non-dominant to dominant side is also similar to how you move when fingerspelling multiple words and the sign for HARD OF HEARING uses two movements with the H-hand as a representation of the “H” in hard and then the “H” in hearing.

History Play Loop (on)

Hard of Hearing Play Loop (on)

5. Fancy vs. Fine

FINE has the thumb of the dominant open 5-hand tap the chest, while FANCY has the thumb of the dominant open 5-hand stroke the chest and come out in a repeated motion. The gesture for FINE suggests the feeling of doing fine and the motion made when signing FANCY is an exaggerated version of signing FINE, since when something is FANCY, it is much more than just FINE.

Fancy Play Loop (on)

Fine Play Loop (on)

These examples are aligned with the Visual Discrimination section of Lesson 9 (page 109) from Lessons and Activities in American Sign Language by Brenda E. Cartwright and Suellen J. Bahleda. Check out the book for more ASL Activities and watch for more examples from this series: “Signs That Are Close... But Not the Same.”