How to spell KENJI in sign language
Kenji 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.
K
E
N
J
ILetter by letter
- K Index and middle fingers extended upward in a V, with the thumb placed between them resting on the middle finger knuckle; ring and pinky curled.
- 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.
- J Pinky extended from a fist, tracing a J-shaped hook downward in the air.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
Motion letter. J cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in KENJI 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.