Spell a word · 4 letters

How to spell TONY in sign language

Tony 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 TT
ASL handshape for the letter OO
ASL handshape for the letter NN
ASL handshape for the letter YY

Letter by letter

  1. T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
  2. O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
  3. N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
  4. 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.