Spell a word · 4 letters

How to spell BABY in sign language

Baby fingerspelled in ASL is 4 handshapes, signed one after another with the palm facing out. Hold each for a beat and keep the hand in one place; the letters carry the word, not the movement.

ASL handshape for the letter BB
ASL handshape for the letter AA
ASL handshape for the letter BB
ASL handshape for the letter YY

Letter by letter

  1. B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
  2. A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
  3. B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
  4. Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.

Fingerspelling is how ASL handles names, places, brands and words without a sign of their own. Many everyday words do have a sign, so if you are learning ASL as a language, learn that sign too; this page shows how the word is spelled with the manual alphabet.