How to spell ZOE in sign language
Zoe fingerspelled in ASL is 3 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
O
ELetter by letter
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- O All fingertips curved forward to touch the tip of the thumb, forming a closed O circle.
- E All four fingers curled tightly down into the palm with the thumb tucked horizontally underneath the fingertips.
Motion letter. Z cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in ZOE 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.