american sign language

Make a fist and run your thumb straight up the side of it.

The thumb rides alongside the fist — never tucked inside it.

Four fingers straight up and pressed together, thumb folded flat across your palm.

Think of a flat paddle with the thumb hidden behind it.

Curve all four fingers and your thumb into the shape of a C, palm to the side.

Leave a gap you could post a coin through.

Index finger straight up; the other three curl down to meet your thumb.

The thumb and middle finger make the loop of the letter d.

Curl all four fingertips down so they rest on top of your folded thumb.

Unlike S, the thumb stays low and the fingertips sit on it.

Touch your thumb and index fingertips into a circle; middle, ring and pinky stay straight up.

Same shape as the number 9.

Point your index finger sideways with your thumb held parallel just below it.

Like measuring an inch — but the fingers stay flat, not pinched.

Index and middle fingers straight and stacked together, pointing sideways.

H is U turned on its side.

Pinky straight up, everything else closed into a fist.

Start in the I handshape, then trace a J in the air with your pinky.

The hook curves toward your body, exactly like writing a j.

Index and middle fingers up in a V, thumb pressed into the gap between them.

Index finger up, thumb straight out sideways — a right angle.

Your hand literally spells the letter.

Fold your thumb into your palm and lay three fingers over it.

Three fingers on top for m — count the humps in the letter.

Fold your thumb into your palm and lay two fingers over it.

Two fingers for n, three for m.

Curve every finger down to meet your thumb in a round O.

Look through the hole — you should see a circle, not a slot.

The K handshape rotated to point downward.

K and P are the same hand; only the wrist changes.

The G handshape rotated to point downward.

The descender of the letter q points at the floor.

Cross your index finger over your middle finger and hold them up.

The crossed-fingers "good luck" hand.

A tight fist with your thumb wrapped across the front of your fingers.

The thumb crosses the middle of the fingers — in E it sits lower, under the tips.

Make a fist with your thumb poking up between your index and middle fingers.

Index and middle fingers straight up and held together.

Together is U, apart is V.

Index and middle fingers straight up and spread into a V.

Index, middle and ring fingers up and spread; thumb holds your pinky down.

Three fingers up — same shape as the number 6.

Hook your index finger like a crooked finger; everything else stays closed.

A fishhook, not a straight point.

Thumb and pinky stretched out, the three middle fingers closed.

The "hang loose" hand.

Point your index finger and draw a Z in the air.

Across, diagonally down, across again.

Every finger curves down to meet your thumb — the same round shape as the letter O.

Index finger straight up, thumb folded across the other fingers.

Index and middle fingers up and spread — the same as the letter V.

Thumb, index and middle fingers up; ring and pinky folded down.

ASL counts three with the thumb, not the ring finger.

Four fingers up and spread, thumb folded across your palm.

Open hand, all five fingers spread wide.

Thumb touches your pinky; index, middle and ring stay up — the letter W shape.

Thumb touches your ring finger; index, middle and pinky stay up.

Thumb touches your middle finger; index, ring and pinky stay up.

Thumb touches your index finger; middle, ring and pinky stay up — the letter F shape.

Thumb, index and pinky out together — the letters I, L and Y stacked into one hand.

The most recognised handshape in ASL, and one of the few that needs no movement at all.

A flat hand at your forehead, fingers together, swept out and away like a salute.

Start at the temple, finish out to the side.

Make an S fist and nod it up and down at the wrist, like a head saying yes.

The fist is the head; the wrist is the neck.

Index and middle fingers snap down onto your thumb, like a beak closing once.

Flat hand, fingers together, touching your chin then moving forward toward the person.

It starts where the words come from, and travels to whoever earned them.

Flat hand on your chest, circling once, clockwise from your point of view.

An A fist on your chest, circling.

Same circle as please, but with a closed hand.

An A fist resting on your flat open palm, both lifted together.

One hand literally gives the other a lift.

Both hands in flat O shapes, fingertips tapping together twice.

Fingertips and thumb gathered into a point, tapping your lips.

A C hand tilted toward your mouth, as though holding a glass.

The W handshape tapped twice against your chin.

Many ASL drink words are initialised — the letter tells you which drink.

Two H hands — index and middle straight and together — crossed and tapped twice.

Gather from your flat open palm and lift to your forehead, closing as you go.

Two hooked index fingers linked together, then swapped over.

The hooks interlock — that is the whole idea of the sign.

A flat blade hand chopping down onto your open palm.

A flat hand moving down from your chin into your other open palm.

Both open hands facing you, flicked outward once.

One of the most-used signs in ASL — it marks the past tense.

A straight index finger touching near your ear, then near your mouth.

Both index fingers extended, circling alternately toward you.

The sign for signing looks like two hands taking turns to speak.

Make the letter B and shake it gently from side to side.

B for blue. Same trick for green, yellow and purple.

Make the letter G — index and thumb parallel, pointing sideways — and shake it.

Make the letter Y — thumb and pinky out — and twist it at the wrist.

Make the letter P — the K hand turned to point down — and shake it.

Draw your index finger down from your lips, like tracing them.

Not initialised — red points at the reddest thing on your face.

Draw your index finger sideways across your forehead.

An open hand on your chest, pulling away and closing to a flat O.