handmouth

Handmouth is a neologism used in some contemporary discussions and fictional contexts to describe a device, technique, or concept in which the hand functions as or represents a mouth. The term is not established in linguistics, medicine, or engineering, and there is no single accepted definition. In most uses, handmouth is either metaphorical—emphasizing how hand movements convey speech and emotion—or refers to a speculative interface that maps gestures to vocal output.

In performance arts, handmouth can describe mime or puppetry practices where the hand's shape and movement simulate a mouth to create the impression of spoken language. In assistive technology or human-computer interaction, it has been used to discuss hypothetical wearable or tactile interfaces that translate hand gestures into speech, text, or synthesized voice, effectively using the hand as an input and output articulator separate from the lips.

In speculative fiction, handmouth may designate an imagined device that directly channels spoken language through the hand, or a cultural practice centered on gestural speech. Because the term lacks standard usage, its meaning is highly context-dependent and can overlap with concepts such as sign language technologies, gestural interfaces, or puppetry.

The term's ambiguity invites careful definition when used in literature or research. See also puppetry, mime, sign language technology, gestural interfaces, and speech synthesis.