How to spell DENNIS in sign language
Dennis 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.
D
E
NN
I
SLetter by letter
- D Index finger extended upward; middle, ring, and pinky curled to meet the thumb, forming a small circle.
- 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.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled fingers.
Double letters. DENNIS 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.