How to spell DETROIT in sign language
Detroit 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.
D
E
T
R
O
ITLetter 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.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
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.