Sign language handshape chart
These handshape primes found in ASL (American Sign Language) are the smallest units of language (ASL). This set of handshape primes is called "handshape paramater".
A single ASL word/sign is made up of these five parameters: handshape, movement, location, palm orientation, and non-manual marker. Each parameter has a number of primes. E.g. there are over 45 handshape primes.
ASL handshape chart
The system of the sign language handshape chart below was developed by Jolanta Lapiak in 2013 or earlier for the ASL to English reverse dictionary on this website. The system is organized into categories from "O" to "10" and 20. The "20" handshapes was originally categorized under "0" as 'baby 0' till 2015. Each handshape prime has a few examples of the ASL signs that contain the handshape.
0-num
opinion
nothing
0-flat
teach
0-e
1-num
for
think
1-claw
recently
suspicious
1-claw2
apple
key
1-d
dating
1-bend
1-inverse
idea
if (variation)
2-num
see
stuck
2-bend
2-claw
doubt
gum
2-close
uncle
2-cross
rocket
realize
3-num
lousy
awkward
3-claw
bug
mischievous
3-bend
ha-ha
3-flat
no
duck
3-inverse
3-k
3-p
people
4-num
leak
4-close
beer
KNOW-THAT
4-claw
4-bend
GOOD-RIDDANCE
5-num
mother+father
5-close
school
5-claw
SO-MAD
5-half
video-recording
experience
5-bend
seem
sweet
tired
5-c
look-for
complain
6-num
wine
water
6-claw
weird
6-inverse (y)
forever
play
7-num
nerd
7-8
hippopotamus
irony
7-open
8-num
silver
melon
8-inverse
enmity
8-open
advantage
touch
9-num
fruit
9-open
10-num
girl
sports
10-a
attitude
10-s
bicycle
10-t
10-t (eu)
10-n
10-m
20-num
bird
20-o
EAR-RING
20-c
20-g
nut/pea-brained
20-l
later
lazy