How to spell YOU ARE WELCOME in sign language
You Are Welcome fingerspelled in ASL is 13 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.
Y
O
U·
A
R
E·
WE
L
CO
MELetter by letter
- Y Thumb and pinky extended outward to opposite sides; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into the palm.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- U Index and middle fingers extended straight up and held tightly together; thumb holds ring and pinky down.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- 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.
- W Index, middle, and ring fingers extended upward and spread; thumb holds the pinky finger down.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
- L Index finger pointing straight up and thumb extended outward to form an L; other three fingers curled into the palm.
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- M A fist with the thumb tucked under three fingers (index, middle, ring), peeking out between the ring and pinky fingers.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
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.