How to spell JENNIFER in sign language
Jennifer fingerspelled in ASL is 8 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
E
NN
I
FE
RLetter by letter
- J Pinky extended from a fist, tracing a J-shaped hook downward in the air.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- F Thumb and index fingertip touch to form a circle; middle, ring, and pinky extended upward and slightly spread.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
Double letters. JENNIFER 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.
Motion letter. J cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in JENNIFER 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.