French manual alphabet

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The French manual alphabet is an alphabet used for French Sign Language, both to distinguish FSL words and to sign French words in FSL.

The alphabet has the following letters:

  • A fist with thumb extended to the side

    A

  • An ASL 'B'

    B

  • An ASL 'C'

    C
    (seen from the side)

  • A formal ASL 'D', with the fingers rounded

    D
    (seen from the side)

  • A 'claw' hand; thumb does not touch fingers

    E

  • Like an ASL 'F', but fingers are splayed, and the thumb touches the outside of the index finger at the middle joint

    F
    (seen from the side)

  • Like an ASL 'G', but pointed upward

    G

  • An ASL 'horns' hand pointed upward: Extended index and pinkie, thumb lies over other fingers

    H

  • An ASL 'I'

    I

  • A Hawaiian 'hang ten' sign: Like an ASL 'J', but with the thumb extended

    J

  • An ASL 'K'

    K

  • An ASL 'L'

    L

  • A flat hand (like an informal ASL 'M') pointed to the side rather than down. Palm faces speaker.

    M

  • A flat hand (like an ASL 'U' or informal 'N') pointed to the side rather than down. Palm faces speaker.

    N

  • An ASL 'O' (rounded)

    O
    (seen from the side)

  • Like an ASL 'P', but the hand nods downward

    P
    (seen from the side)

  • As ASL 'Q'

    Q
    (seen from the side)

  • An ASL 'R'

    R

  • An ASL 'S'

    S

  • Like the French 'F', but with the thumb on the inside of the index finger

    T
    (seen from the side)

  • An ASL 'U'

    U

  • An ASL 'V'

    V

  • An ASL 'W'

    W

  • A flexed ASL 'V': Like an ASL 'X', but with two flexed fingers

    X

  • An ASL 'Y'

    Y

  • An ASL 'Z'

    Z

These are largely similar to the letters of the American manual alphabet. A few letters (upward G, sideward M and N) are orientated differently, with the result that D and G depend on a difference in hand shape that has been lost from informal ASL, and N looks like an ASL H. Several letters (hitchhiker-thumb A, clawed E, splayed F, nodding P, etc.) have minor differences that suggest a different "accent"; the thumb on A makes it more distinct from S than is American A. Four letters are radically different: H (the ASL '8'/'horns' handshape), J (a swiveling Y rather than I), X (uses two fingers, like a flexed ASL V), and T (just like the French F, but with the thumb on the inside of the index finger instead of on the outside).

By region[a]
Language families[a]
American Sign Language
Extinct sign languages
Linguistics
Fingerspelling
Writing
Language contact
Media
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Persons
Organisations
Miscellaneous
^a Sign-language names reflect the region of origin. Natural sign languages are not related to the spoken language used in the same region. For example, French Sign Language originated in France, but is not related to French.
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