How to spell DEREK in sign language
Derek fingerspelled in ASL is 5 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
RE
KLetter 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.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); 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.
- K Index and middle fingers extended upward in a V, with the thumb placed between them resting on the middle finger knuckle; ring and pinky curled.
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.