PleaseLockThe Gate Sign

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.

Pronunciation (sign description): waving hand, palm orientation facing outward with the "oo" mouth morpheme, and shaking head.

Shut theBloodyGate Sign

Etymology: Did you know that this ASL sign, which looks very much a non-fingerspelled form itself, was actually lexicalized from two fingerspelled N and O? It was a loanword but nobody could thought of it as a loanword.

Children develop at different pace and with different strategies, but milestones are consistent regardless of sign language or speech language. Watch the video showing how the baby "Juli" acquired the signed word 'no' in early language acquisition in ASL.

Pleaseclosethe GateSticker

Add a Word: This dictionary is not exhaustive; ASL signs are constantly added to the dictionary. If you don't find a word/sign, you can send your request (only if a single link doesn't show in the result).

Shaking head is a common interjection used too. Head shaking doesn't just convey "no"; various movements along with facial expressions (intonation) also can convey other nuances of meanings, like "no way", "impossible", "doubtful", and other subtleties.

Search/Filter: Enter a keyword in the filter/search 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.

Pleaseclosethe gatein Spanish

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant hand held in space with palm facing outward, first two fingers (index finger and middle finger together) tap with the thumb twice. The tap movement is sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes plural, depending on the contexts.

The HandSpeak® site is a sign language resource created with ♥ by the ASL instructor and native signer in North America. Sign language on this site is the authenticity of culturally Deaf native-signers.

This kid's thought wasn't the first time. There had been some people here and there who had the same wonder, including myself in my early life. It's a natural logic.

Pleaseclosethe gate signprintable

Videos: The first video may be NOT the answer you're looking for. There are several signs for different meanings, contexts, and/or variations. Browsing all the way down to the next search box is highly recommended.

For best result, enter a short word in the search box, then select the alphetical letter (and page number if needed), and click on the blue link.

So, in case you might wonder why the ASL sign for NO is this way. Hypothetically, 1) It's the phonetic thing (nothing to do with sound but to do with the brain and its linguistic processing). The sign NO is more efficient this way than the shaking "S" handshape. It's a natural language thing.

In the video at age 1;5, the baby expressed a way other than the ASL word, such as body language or gesture. At 1;6, she recognized the written English word "no" in a kid book and uttered the ASL sign "no" which was not produced fully yet. At 1;9, the mother and the toddler responded at the same time. At age 1;11, as she lay down, she said in ASL, "I say/tell no".

FunnyPleaseCloseThe Gate Sign

In some contexts, the "no" response can be a bit harsh with this sign. The sign glossed as "NO-wave" is the euphemism. Or, it can be used properly in contexts.

This entry shows how to sign 'no' in sign language and a little cute theory why it's signed that way. In another video far below, the baby learned to say no.

PleaseClosethe Gate SignDog

[Note: ASL writing is not an official standard. This sign language writing remains in a state of open space to allow room for experiment, evolution, and improvement.]

If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)

ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.

Did you know that the ASL sign "NO" was derived from the fingerspelled loan. This lexicalized sign was evolved into the ASL sign.