How to spell EDDIE in sign language
Eddie 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.
E
DD
IELetter by letter
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- D Index finger extended upward; middle, ring, and pinky curled to meet the thumb, forming a small circle.
- D Index finger extended upward; middle, ring, and pinky curled to meet the thumb, forming a small circle.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
Double letters. EDDIE 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.