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If you are learning fingerspelling and hand sign language through illustrations and drawings, then you have to make sure you are placing your fingers and hands in the correct direction. In a majority of situations, the palms face the viewer when a person is using hand sign language. However, drawings may be shown differently to help a beginner understand the gesture better.
In most pictures of hand sign language, some letters are shown from the side for better illustration. However, one should realize when actually signing, the palm should not be turned to the side. A common mistake made by beginners learning hand sign language is to turn their wrist while producing “C” and “O”.
However, “G” and “H” are the only letters which require the palm to be facing sideways. These hand signs look like they have been turned in drawings to facilitate easier understanding, however they are supposed to be gestured this way.
Another common mistake made by beginners is to confuse “A” and “S.” “A” requires the thumb to be on the side of your fist while for “S” the thumb is folded in front of the fist.
“U” and “H” share a similar gesture in hand sign language, the only difference being in “H” the fingers are pointed to the side while in “U” the fingers are pointed upwards.
Another frequent mistake is between “D” and “F”. “D” requires all three fingers except the pointer finger to be curved inwards along with the thumb while the pointer finger is the only one sticking up. “F” is the complete opposite with all fingers sticking up except the pointer finger and the thumb.
“K” and “P” are similar except for “K” pointing up and “P” pointing down. Also, make sure you do not place your thumb in between the fingers but on the middle finger in both cases.
People learning hand sign language should make sure they memorize the alphabet properly. Furthermore, it is preferable you double check all letters while initially practicing until you are comfortable with each one.
Another mistake made by beginners who follow hand sign language illustrations is in gesturing the numbers 1 to 5 with their palm facing out. These numbers are signed with the palm inwards while 6, 7, 8 and 9 are gestured with the palm outwards facing the other person. However, this rule applies only while signing the cardinal numbers. When using numbers in other situations, like telling time, the palm is always required to face out for all the numbers. There are various scenarios on palm placement in different situations where numbers are used, but will be better to learn per each case.
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Another aspect you should master of hand sign language is to hold your hand at shoulder height. The hand should stay in one place while only the shape changes. It is advised you hold your forearm with your other free arm while practicing hand sign language until you can keep your fingerspelling arm steady. Keeping the arm steady is important because if you shake, then the person being addressed may find it difficult to interpret. A pause while using hand sign language usually indicates a new word.