[PDF] pdf sign language alphabet

What is the American Sign Language alphabet?

The American Sign Language alphabet is conveyed using hand movements and finger placement to represent the letters of the English alphabet. The official name for the alphabet in ASL is the American Manual Alphabet. ASL is used primarily in the United States as well as English-speaking regions of Canada.

What can I do with the Sign Language alphabet?

Steve Debenport/Getty Images. A fun thing to do with the sign language alphabet is to make up an "ABC story.". ABC stories use each letter of the sign alphabet to represent something. For example, the "A" handshape can be used to "knock" on a door. It's a common assignment in ASL classes and one that you can have a lot of fun with.

What is an example of a sign language?

For example, most sign languages have a specific sign for the word tree, but may not have a specific sign for oak, so o-a-k would be finger spelled to convey that specific meaning. Of course, not every language uses the Latin alphabet like English, so their sign language alphabet differs as well.

What type of alphabet is used by deaf people?

Some manual alphabet systems are one-handed. Some others are two-handed. One-handed sign language alphabets are used by deaf people in the U.S., Canada, and many other European countries. The one-handed ASL alphabet is used Deaf community in Canada and the U.S.