How to spell ZURICH in sign language
Zurich 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
U
R
I
C
HLetter by letter
- Z Index finger extended straight out from a fist, drawing a Z path in the air.
- U Index and middle fingers extended straight up and held tightly together; thumb holds ring and pinky down.
- R Index and middle fingers extended upward and crossed (middle finger over index); thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
- I Pinky extended upward; index, middle, and ring fingers curled into a fist with the thumb resting across them.
- C Fingers and thumb curved into an open C shape, palm facing sideways.
- H Index and middle fingers extended together, pointing sideways; thumb holds the ring and pinky down.
Motion letter. Z cannot be held still: it is drawn in the air rather than posed. Everything else in ZURICH 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.