Spell a word · 4 letters

How to spell OWEN in sign language

Owen 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 OO
ASL handshape for the letter WW
ASL handshape for the letter EE
ASL handshape for the letter NN

Letter by letter

  1. O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
  2. W Index, middle, and ring fingers extended upward and spread; thumb holds the pinky finger down.
  3. E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
  4. 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.