How to spell CHENNAI in sign language
Chennai 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.
C
H
E
NN
A
ILetter by letter
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- 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.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
Double letters. CHENNAI 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.