How to spell TIMOTHY in sign language
Timothy fingerspelled in ASL is 7 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.
T
I
M
OT
H
YLetter by letter
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- M A fist with the thumb tucked under three fingers (index, middle, ring), peeking out between the ring and pinky fingers.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
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.