Learning the fingerspelled alphabet without bad habits

What fingerspelling is for

Fingerspelling uses a handshape for each letter of the English alphabet. It is a useful part of ASL, but a small one. New learners sometimes spell every word they do not know a sign for, which turns a conversation into a slow spelling test.

Fluent signers mostly fingerspell three kinds of words:

1. Names. People, streets, towns and pets, at least until a sign is established.
2. English words with no common sign. Technical terms, new words, or a word someone wants to state exactly.
3. Clarification. When a sign has several possible meanings, spelling the English word settles which one was meant.

Some short words that were once spelled have worn down into signs of their own. Words such as OK, JOB and BACK are often produced as one quick, smooth movement instead of separate letters. These are called lexicalized fingerspelling, and they show that fingerspelling changes over time like the rest of the language.

So learn the alphabet well, then spend most of your effort on signs. If you are unsure how the two fit together, read why ASL is its own language first.

Where your hand should sit

Most clarity problems start with hand position, so set that before working on any letter.

1. Use your dominant hand. If you write with your right hand, spell with your right hand, and do not switch partway through.
2. Hold it beside your shoulder. Keep it below chin height and away from your mouth.
3. Face the palm outward. Most letters face the person watching. A few change direction, as described below.
4. Keep the elbow relaxed and low. Let the upper arm hang near your side. A raised elbow tires the arm and makes the hand wander.

Then keep the hand in that one place while you spell. The handshapes change while the location stays the same.

The habits that are hard to undo

Adults who teach themselves from an alphabet chart tend to pick up the same five habits. All of them are common, and all of them can be fixed.

Bouncing every letter

Many learners push the hand forward slightly on each letter, as if pressing a key. The word looks choppy and its overall shape gets lost. Letters should flow from one to the next while the hand stays still in space.

Mouthing each letter

If your lips shape "B, O, B" while you spell, the person watching gets a second, confusing signal from your face. It also keeps you thinking one letter at a time. Keep your mouth relaxed. If you mouth anything, mouth the whole word once.

Watching your own hand

Looking at your hand breaks eye contact, which matters a great deal in ASL, and it slows you down. Check your handshapes in a mirror while you learn them, and then practice without looking.

Drifting sideways

Some learners slide the hand to the right as they spell, as if writing across a page. The only exception is a double letter, such as the two Ls in "ball" or the two Os in "moon." Double letters get a small slide or bounce; otherwise keep the hand in place.

Pausing mid-word

A pause inside a word reads as the end of the word. If you lose a letter, start the word again smoothly instead of freezing halfway.

Letters that trip people up

Most of the alphabet settles quickly. A few groups of letters cause trouble for nearly everyone.

1. A, S, E, M, N and T. These are all closed handshapes, and the differences lie in the thumb and fingertips. For A, the thumb rests along the side of the fist. For S, the thumb crosses in front of the curled fingers. For E, the four fingers bend down so their tips rest on the thumb, which is folded across the palm beneath them. For M, N and T, the thumb tucks under three fingers, two fingers or one finger. Check these in a mirror until each one looks distinct.
2. K and V. Both raise the index and middle fingers. In K, the thumb touches the middle finger between the two raised fingers. Keep the thumb visible.
3. G and H. These point sideways. Turn the hand so the fingers point across your body.
4. P and Q. These point downward. P is a K turned down, and Q is a G turned down.
5. J and Z. These are the two letters with movement. J traces a small hook with the little finger. Z traces the letter in the air with the index finger.

Read the shape, not the letters

Reading someone else's fingerspelling is usually harder than spelling, because fluent signers do not form each letter crisply. Letters blend into each other, and a word becomes a movement with a recognizable shape.

Learners who try to catch every letter tend to lose the word, because the signer has finished by the time they reach the third letter. A better habit is to watch the whole movement, catch the first letter, the last letter and the length, and let context fill in the rest. A long word starting with C in a conversation about travel is very likely a place name.

When you miss a spelled word in conversation, there is a polite way to ask for it again, described in practicing receptive skills.

Why speed should wait

Most adult learners want to spell faster, because fluent spelling looks impressive and slow spelling feels clumsy. But speed without clarity helps nobody, and rushing locks in the habits above.

Rhythm matters more than speed. A steady, even pace with a still hand is easy to read even when it is slow. Speed arrives after months of regular use, much as handwriting gets quicker without anyone trying to rush it.

A useful drill is to pick a few words each day, such as street names on your route or items on a grocery list. Spell each one slowly three times with the hand still, then once at a comfortable pace. If a word feels awkward, one pair of letters is usually the cause, so practice that pair on its own and then return to the word. For fitting short drills like this into each day, see a little practice most days.

A first week of practice

1. Set your hand beside your shoulder, below chin height, palm out and elbow low, and check the position in a mirror.
2. Spell your own name ten times slowly, with no bounce and no mouthing.
3. Drill A, S, E, M, N and T until each one looks different from the others.
4. Spell the names of five people you know with an even rhythm, eyes up.
5. Ask a Deaf teacher or fluent signer to watch you spell and tell you which letters they cannot read.

Numbers share several handshapes with letters and have their own traps. Numbers and counting in ASL is the natural next step.