How to spell BROTHER in sign language
Brother fingerspelled in ASL is 7 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
R
O
T
H
ERLetter by letter
- B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
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.