Spell a word · 4 letters

How to spell MILK in sign language

Milk fingerspelled in ASL is 4 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.

ASL handshape for the letter MM
ASL handshape for the letter II
ASL handshape for the letter LL
ASL handshape for the letter KK

Letter by letter

  1. M A fist with the thumb tucked under three fingers (index, middle, ring), peeking out between the ring and pinky fingers.
  2. I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
  3. L Index finger pointing straight up and thumb extended outward to form an L; other three fingers curled into the palm.
  4. 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.

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.