How to spell TREE in sign language

Tree 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.

Letter by letter

T A fist with the thumb tucked under the index finger, peeking out between the index and middle fingers.
R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.

Double letters. TREE 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.

Sign it at your camera and check it Spell a different word

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