How to spell JESSE in sign language
Jesse 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
E
SSELetter 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.
- S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled fingers.
- S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled fingers.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
Double letters. JESSE 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 JESSE 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.