Spell a word · 4 letters

How to spell FIRE in sign language

Fire fingerspelled in ASL is 4 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 FF
ASL handshape for the letter II
ASL handshape for the letter RR
ASL handshape for the letter EE

Letter by letter

  1. F Thumb and index fingertip touch to form a circle; middle, ring, and pinky extended upward and slightly spread.
  2. I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
  3. R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
  4. E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.

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.