How to spell BETTY in sign language
Betty fingerspelled in ASL is 5 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
E
TT
YLetter by letter
- B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
Double letters. BETTY 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.