fingerspell

IPA/ˈfɪŋ.ɡə.spel/
IPA/ˈfɪŋ.ɡɚ.spel/

fingerspell — verb

  • fingerspellpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • fingerspells3rd person singular
  • fingerspelling-ing form
  • fingerspelledpast simple

1. to show a word by making the handshape for each written letter in order, instead

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to show a word by making the handshape for each written letter in order, instead of using one complete sign.

Example

Noa fingerspelled her address when the interpreter missed the street name.

fingerspell + address/name

Takeshi fingerspelled the medicine name because his grandmother did not know a sign for it.

fingerspell + technical word with no fixed sign

Common collocations
  • fingerspell a name
  • fingerspell a surname
  • fingerspell a word
  • fingerspell clearly
  • fingerspell slowly
Synonyms
  • spell out

    more general; can refer to saying or writing the letters, not specifically using handshapes

  • sign

    broader; often means using full sign language rather than naming each letter separately

Grammar Patterns

fingerspell + name/word

fingerspell + something + slowly/clearly

Usage Note

Object is usually a name, place, loanword, or technical term that does not have a well-known sign. Distinguish from 'sign': fingerspell builds the word letter by letter instead of choosing one full sign.

Common Mistakes

He signed his surname letter by letter.
He fingerspelled his surname.
'sign' is broader; 'fingerspell' is the specific verb for spelling a word with handshapes.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Fingerspell' is the most specific of these expressions. It means producing a word one letter at a time with the handshapes of a manual alphabet, usually for names, places, or technical words without a common sign. 'Sign' is much broader: it can describe using a full sign language sentence, not just spelling a word letter by letter. 'Spell out' is broader still, because you can spell something out aloud, on paper, or on a screen. 'Use the manual alphabet' is accurate but more explanatory than natural in everyday conversation; teachers may say it, but ordinary users are more likely to say they 'fingerspelled the name'.

fingerspell ↗sign ↗spell out ↗use the manual alphabet

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fingerspell a name
  • fingerspell a word
  • fingerspell clearly
  • fingerspell slowly

Prepositions

  • in ASL
  • in BSL
  • with one hand

Etymology

English

Formed in English from 'finger' and 'spell'. The verb grew out of Deaf-education and sign-language contexts, where it named the act of building a word letter by letter with a manual alphabet.