Standard Lemma guide

fingerspelling

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The practice of representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands to spell out words.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any system for representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands; a manual alphabet that is a representation of a written alphabet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A representation of the spelling of a word using such a system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of fingerspell

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an alphabet of manual signs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: finger spelling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sign language, signing

History

Etymology

From finger + spelling.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 指拼 (zhǐpīn) — the practice of using the hands to spell out words
  • Georgian: თითებით ლაპარაკი (titebit laṗaraḳi) — the practice of using the hands to spell out words
  • Portuguese: dactilologia — the practice of using the hands to spell out words
  • Portuguese: datilologia — the practice of using the hands to spell out words
  • Georgian: ხელის ანბანი (xelis anbani) — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Hungarian: ujjábécé — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Hungarian: jelnyelvi ábécé — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Portuguese: dactilologia — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Portuguese: datilologia — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Portuguese: alfabeto manual — any system for representing letters using the hands
  • Swedish: handalfabet — any system for representing letters using the hands
Real reading context

fingerspelling in complete knowledge articles