How to spell JANET in sign language
Janet 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.
J
A
N
E
TLetter by letter
- J Pinky extended from a fist, tracing a J-shaped hook downward in the air.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- 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.
Motion letter. J cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in JANET is a static handshape.
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.