How to spell JOYCE in sign language
Joyce 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
O
Y
C
ELetter by letter
- J Pinky extended from a fist, tracing a J-shaped hook downward in the air.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
Motion letter. J cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in JOYCE 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.