How to spell CALIFORNIA in sign language
California fingerspelled in ASL is 10 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.
C
A
L
I
F
O
R
NIALetter by letter
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- 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.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- F Thumb and index fingertip touch to form a circle; middle, ring, and pinky extended upward and slightly spread.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
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.