The ASL manual alphabet is a foundational tool that allows signers to spell out words letter by letter using specific handshapes. It is especially useful for proper nouns, brand names, technical terms, and any concept that lacks an established ASL sign. Each letter is produced with one hand and held briefly in view of the conversation partner.
Some letters are formed with the hand open and fingers extended, such as B (four fingers up with the thumb folded across the palm) and L (index up, thumb out, remaining fingers folded). Others involve closed or curved shapes, like A (fist with the thumb resting alongside the index finger) or C (fingers curved with the thumb to create an open C). Letters such as D and E curl the fingers down to meet the thumb in different ways, while M and N tuck the thumb beneath the first two or three fingers respectively. F forms a circle with the thumb and index finger, leaving the other three fingers extended upward.
More complex shapes include the crossed-finger R, the sideways G (index and thumb extended horizontally), the K-like P (pointed downward), and the W (index, middle, and ring fingers spread upward). The Y handshape, with the thumb and pinky extended and the middle fingers curled, resembles a "hang loose" or shaka gesture. Numbers up to ten build naturally on these handshapes: 1 uses a single index finger, 2 adds the middle finger, 3 adds the thumb, 5 spreads all fingers wide, 7 uses the index, middle, and ring fingers, and 9 forms a thumb-index circle with three fingers up. Two-handed numerals include 10 (a fist with thumb up, shaken slightly), 100 (a C handshape tapping the opposite palm), and 1,000 (an M handshape moved forward).