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The alphabet chart
This is the ASL fingerspelling chart — every letter, drawn from real hands. It comes from the public-domain chart first drawn for Gallaudet and kept by Wikimedia Commons, so it is free for everyone to learn from and share.
Work down the chart. Make the shape, hold it still, say the letter. Two letters move: J draws a J with the little finger, and Z draws a Z with the pointing finger.
Watch the alphabet demonstrated on the course page, then come back and spell along.
The signs
THE ALPHABET CHART
- Handshape
- One hand does all the work — use the hand you write with.
- Place
- Hold your hand up at shoulder height, where the other person can see it clearly.
- Movement
- Make each letter shape from the chart on this page. Keep your hand still and steady; do not bounce it between letters.
Remember it: Fingerspelling spells names and words that have no sign of their own.
J
- Handshape
- Start with the hand shape for I — little finger up, fist closed.
- Place
- At shoulder height, palm facing out.
- Movement
- Trace a small J in the air with your little finger — the letter J moves.
Remember it: J is one of only two letters that move.
Z
- Handshape
- Point your index finger, like the letter L without the thumb.
- Place
- At shoulder height.
- Movement
- Draw a Z in the air with your fingertip — the letter Z moves.
Remember it: If the letter draws a shape in the air, it is J or Z.
SPELLING YOUR NAME
- Handshape
- Use the chart, letter by letter.
- Place
- Shoulder height, steady.
- Movement
- Go slowly. Pause a moment between words. Speed comes later — clear letters come first.
Remember it: Your name is the first thing you will ever spell. Practice it until your hand knows it without looking.
Try It — sign it yourself
- Fingerspell your own name three times — slowly, then at talking speed.
- Spell a friend's or family member's name. Let them guess it.
- Watch the alphabet video once more and sign along with every letter.
Hands learn by doing. Slow and clear beats fast and sloppy — every time.
Vocabulary — words to keep
| Word | Spelling | What the sign does | A line to remember it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE ALPHABET CHART | The Alphabet Chart | Make each letter shape from the chart on this page. | Fingerspelling spells names and words that have no sign of their own. |
| J | J | Trace a small J in the air with your little finger — the letter J moves. | J is one of only two letters that move. |
| Z | Z | Draw a Z in the air with your fingertip — the letter Z moves. | If the letter draws a shape in the air, it is J or Z. |
| SPELLING YOUR NAME | Spelling Your Name | Go slowly. | Your name is the first thing you will ever spell. Practice it until your hand knows it without looking. |