How to spell PIZZA in sign language
Pizza 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
I
ZZ
ALetter by letter
- P Same handshape as K, but angled downward with the index and middle fingers pointing toward the ground.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
Double letters. PIZZA has the same letter twice in a row. Do not re-form it: hold the handshape and slide the hand slightly to the side, or give it a small bounce, so the reader sees two.
Motion letters. Z cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in PIZZA 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.