The ASL alphabet, letter by letter

Twenty-six handshapes. Twenty-four you hold still - J and Z you draw in the air. The six that trip people up are all fists that differ only in where the thumb sits, which is exactly what a mirror can't show you and a camera can.

A to Z

Pick a letter.

J · Z are motion letters

ASL handshape for the letter A

A

ASL handshape for the letter B

B

ASL handshape for the letter C

C

ASL handshape for the letter D

D

ASL handshape for the letter E

E

ASL handshape for the letter F

F

ASL handshape for the letter G

G

ASL handshape for the letter H

H

ASL handshape for the letter I

I

ASL handshape for the letter J

J

ASL handshape for the letter K

K

ASL handshape for the letter L

L

ASL handshape for the letter M

M

ASL handshape for the letter N

N

ASL handshape for the letter O

O

ASL handshape for the letter P

P

ASL handshape for the letter Q

Q

ASL handshape for the letter R

R

ASL handshape for the letter S

S

ASL handshape for the letter T

T

ASL handshape for the letter U

U

ASL handshape for the letter V

V

ASL handshape for the letter W

W

ASL handshape for the letter X

X

ASL handshape for the letter Y

Y

ASL handshape for the letter Z

The six that look alike

A, E, M, N, S, Tare all closed fists. They differ only by thumb placement, so they are the letters learners hold wrong the longest - there is nothing to see from the signer's own point of view. The drill in the transcriber watches from the front and tells you which one you actually made.

Practice the hard six