How to spell BALL in sign language
Ball 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.
B
A
LLLetter by letter
- B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- L Index finger pointing straight up and thumb extended outward to form an L; other three fingers curled into the palm.
- L Index finger pointing straight up and thumb extended outward to form an L; other three fingers curled into the palm.
Double letters. BALL has the same letter twice in a row. Do not re-form it: hold the handshape and slide the hand slightly to the side, or give it a small bounce, so the reader sees two.
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.