How to spell ZAINAB in sign language
Zainab 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.
Z
A
I
NA
BLetter by letter
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- N A fist with the thumb tucked under two fingers (index and middle), peeking out between the middle and ring fingers.
- A A closed fist with the thumb resting upright against the side of the index finger.
- B Four fingers straight up and together, thumb folded flat across the palm.
Motion letter. Z cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in ZAINAB is a static handshape.
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.