How to spell COFFEE in sign language
Coffee fingerspelled in ASL is 6 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
O
FF
EELetter by letter
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- F Thumb and index fingertip touch to form a circle; middle, ring, and pinky extended upward and slightly spread.
- F Thumb and index fingertip touch to form a circle; middle, ring, and pinky extended upward and slightly spread.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
Double letters. COFFEE 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.