How to spell SCHOOL in sign language
School fingerspelled in ASL is 6 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.
S
C
H
OO
LLetter by letter
- S A closed fist with the thumb wrapped across the front of all curled fingers.
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- L Index finger pointing straight up and thumb extended outward to form an L; other three fingers curled into the palm.
Double letters. SCHOOL 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.
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.