How to spell PAPER in sign language
Paper 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.
P
AP
E
RLetter by letter
- P Same handshape as K, but angled downward with the index and middle fingers pointing toward the ground.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- 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.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
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.