How to spell OPEN in sign language

Open 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.

Letter by letter

O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
P Same handshape as K, but angled downward with the index and middle fingers pointing toward the ground.
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.

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.

Sign it at your camera and check it Spell a different word

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