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Jump scroll down to Sign of the Day ASL Dictionary Tutorial Search
Fingerspelling Grammar Baby Talk New to ASL?


EXPLORE, DISCOVER, AND LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE


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About

From beginners to advanced learners, discover all you need for ASL learning. For
fluent and native signers, explore and master ASL and bilingualism. This
website/webapp HandSpeak® is a popular, go-to online resource for sign language
and Deaf culture in North America for language learning, practice, tutorials and
self-study for:

 * college students and learners
 * language and culture enthusiasts
 * interpreters, homeschoolers
 * parents of deaf children and deaf/hearing babies
 * professionals
 * deaf bilinguals and codas

Handwave! I'm Jolanta, the creator of this web app/site since 1995. Very long
time, yes! It has been made with endless personal volunteer time, effort, and
heart. I hope you will find this sign language resource helpful with your
language learning in American Sign Language.




WORD SEARCH

Search tips

Filter: Enter a keyword in the filter field box to see a list of available words
with the "All" selection. Click on the page number if needed. Click on the blue
link to look up the word. For best result, enter a partial word to see
variations of the word.

Screenshot of the search dictionary

Alphabetical letters: It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B,
etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words
and pages in the list.

Screenshot of the search dictionary

Don't forget to click "All" back when you search another word with a different
initial letter.



 * All
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 * I
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 * K
 * L
 * M
 * N
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 * P
 * Q
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 * T
 * U
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 * W
 * X
 * Y
 * Z

Basic word starters: hello / learn / ASL / sign language / alphabet / love - I
love you / please / thank you / welcome / sorry / ok ...

More term starters: what / help / write / deaf / Deaf culture / hearing /
texting / ...

 * ←
 * ★
 * 1
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 * ...
 * 1098
 * →

Or, start with the First 100+ Signs. What does the ASL sign mean? Look up a word
in the ASL to English Reverse Dictionary.




TOPIC SEARCH

Browse tutorials and posts on sign language and Deaf culture.

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Topic starters: Sign language: myths and facts / What is American Sign Language?
/ ASL alphabet / Sign language alphabet / Fingerspelling receptive practice /
How to learn sign language / Brain: speech is not central to language / Benefits
for learning sign language / Deaf Gain

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~~ Feeling lucky? ¯\__(°_o)__/¯ Random Word ~~




SIGN OF THE DAY

Guess what the ASL word mean? See English translation. Explore this word in the
dictionary.




FINGERSPELLING OF THE WEEK 🔒

What does it say? Hover over to see the word. Take me to the page.



Try fingerspelling practice to improve your receptive skill. New to
fingerspelling? Learn the ASL alphabet.


KID SIGNING OF THE WEEK

The video shows a baby signing the ASL word MILK in the early language
acquisition (handshape, location, and movement).




SENTENCE OF THE WEEK 🔒

To get started for a new learner, learn how to sign "How are you?".

Browse some more phrases and sentences that may give you some insights into how
grammar, structure and meaning are constructed in ASL sign language and help you
learn how to express them in ASL.


STORY VIDEO

Signing Christmas from baby to toddler

Signing Christmas from baby to toddler

More Videos


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Next Up
Kid signing SLEEP in American Sign Language
00:51

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GRAMMAR

Signed languages are distinct from spoken languages. For example, ASL and
English are entirely independent languages, each with its own structure,
grammar, vocabulary and other linguistic elements, including intonation (i.e.
facial expression). In addition, sign languages encompass every linguistic
feature found in spoken languages.

Random grammar tip:

Native and fluent signers look at the configuration (form, movement, and
pattern) of a fingerspelled word, not letter by letter. Practice your receptive
skill in fingerspelling. Fingerspelling exercise


TRIVIA QUESTION

Which one of the following ASL verbs cannot be inflected as an indicating verb?

 * A) FLY
 * B) LIKE
 * C) SHOW
 * D) BORROW

   The ASL verb LIKE cannot be directionally inflected. Learn more about
   indicating verbs.





~~ Feeling lucky? ¯\__(°_o)__/¯ Random Word ~~


MANUAL ALPHABET

To get started, learn the ABCs in ASL alphabet.


NUMBERS

Take a peek what the ASL number is: number.



Learn how to sign numbers 1 to 100.


WRITTEN ASL WORD

Guess what the ASL written word mean? Take a peek. Take me to this word.

Disclaimer [?]

Disclaimer: Written digits of the ASL words are unofficial and they may evolve
over time. The purpose is for exploration and discovery only.

"[Bilingualism] is our ally ensuring quality education for all, in promoting
inclusion and combating discrimination." -- Irina Bokova, Director General of
UNESCO


WHAT IS SIGN LANGUAGE?

Sign language is a natural, full-fledged language in visual-spatial modality. It
has all the features of linguistics from phonology and morphology to syntax as
found in spoken language. Signed languages are not a universal language; sign
languages, such as British Sign Language (BSL) and French Sign Language (LSF),
are distinct languages throughout the world.

American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary language of Deaf people in Deaf
communities and Deaf families across the United States and Canada. It's also a
fast-growing. popular second language or foreign language for hearing people in
North America. Like other languages, ASL has its regional variations.


LANGUAGE LEARNING

Bilingualism has a number of cognitive benefits. Find out what benefits are for
learning sign language. In addition to the benefits of bilingualism, bimodalism
and Deafhood also have some extra benefits.

Explore some ways on how to get started with learning sign language.


DEAF COMMUNITY AND DEAF CULTURE

Where there is language, there is culture; sign language and Deaf culture are
inseparable. Learning sign language and Deaf culture comes with the process of
allyship along with awareness toward appreciation and away from cultural
appropriation and audism (alliteration, yay!).

Deaf community comprises Deaf people, codas (children of Deaf parents),
hard-of-hearing signers, and hearing signers and allies.


LINGUISTICS

Sign language has every linguistic feature from phonology and morphology to
syntax as found in spoken language. Numerous studies show that signed languages
and spoken languages are equal languages, despite different modalities
(visual-spatial and vocal-auditory). They function in the same linguistic
regions of the brain. Language acquisition from birth to kindergarten are on the
similar timeline.


TESTIMONIALS

The sign language site is one of few most reliable resources and references
highly recommended by Deaf native signers, including ASL instructors.

"Even though I'm Deaf with ASL as my native language, I still use Handspeak a
lot in the last few years for reference. I also frequently recommended this
website to hearings/ASL students I met. It's amazing how you contributed so
much, so I just want to let you know how much I appreciate that. -- Theo, 2020."

"This website is AWESOME! I always refer it to my students. -- Denise (Deaf ASL
instructor), 2021"

"This website is a godsend. Your work is amazing and I just wanted to thank you.
Without it, learning ASL would have been much harder. -- Le, 2021"

"I just wanted to let you know that you are the reason I've been getting A's in
my ASL classes and to say thank you. I use your website multiple times a day,
and it has fleshed out so much information about the language of ASL and the
Deaf community. You have truly made a difference in my life!" -- Angie DiNardo,
February 4, 2022.

Thank you Handspeak!! You were an invaluable resource for me during my
interpreter education program. I came to the conclusion that your dictionary of
signs were one of the best and I relied on it immensely.

"I have been struggling to figure out signs for my class. It was really
beginning to wear down on me and I was getting nervous about how the rest of the
semester will go. A problem that was haunting me was found in short order using
the sign and contextual reference from the assignment. THANK YOU!!!! You have
blessed me for sure! -- Nita"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH. This site is amazing. I am just learning ASL, and I keep
this tab open on my computer and check in several times a day to form words and
sentences. Very blessed for this incredible project of yours. -- A.S."

"Your website has helped me to learn ASL and about Deaf culture, both when I
studied in University and now as I continue to practice and learn. I just wanted
to express that I am so grateful for you and for handspeak.com- you are
wonderful, thank you for creating this project!! -- Kat"

"Your website is a blessing! I often refer my ASL students to the tutorials on
this site as an extracurricular resource when they needed help. -- a certified
ASL instructor and Deaf native signer."

"... thank you for making such an important and useful resource for those of us
on the path to fluency in the language and art of American Sign Language. Your
Handspeak website has provided me with countless hours of invaluable insight and
dare I say entertainment. You're a beautiful person, and your work is thoroughly
appreciated." -- Patrick Ryan (Minnesota), 2015.

"Handspeak is such a great online ASL lexicon, and it is very helpful. My TA's
recommended it over other online ASL dictionaries. Thank you again! -- J.Y.,
2017"

"Our daughter is so much happier that she can tell us what she wants and needs.
Much less crying, much more laughing! Thank you for this site, the best of its
kind on the web."

"We use the site in our homeschooling, as a second language, for our 9-year-old
child who does really well with homeschooling. He's exceptionally bright, very
active, inquisitive and challenging. Your site has captured his interest and he
is intrigued."

"I scuba dive, and being able to use sign language while diving would expand the
experience greatly. -- L. Niles"

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