Spell a word · 5 letters

How to spell DIMAS in sign language

Dimas 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.

ASL handshape for the letter DD
ASL handshape for the letter II
ASL handshape for the letter MM
ASL handshape for the letter AA
ASL handshape for the letter SS

Letter by letter

  1. D Index finger extended upward; middle, ring, and pinky curled to meet the thumb, forming a small circle.
  2. I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
  3. M A fist with the thumb tucked under three fingers (index, middle, ring), peeking out between the ring and pinky fingers.
  4. A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
  5. S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled 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.