BABY in sign language

Learn how to sign "baby" in ASL. And watch how the baby of ASL-speaking family signs "baby". Plus, a few links to the facts and myths about baby signing.

A drawing of baby by coda — A drawing of baby by Juli LC, age 5

A drawing of the baby by Juli at age 5. The drawing shows a baby holding a pink bottle of milk, and wearing a pink diaper (quite a detail) and a pink shirt with the red heart on it.

ASL sign for "baby"

How do you say 'baby' in ASL?

Meaning: A very young child, especially one newly or recently born; newborn.

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant flat hand with its palm up rests on the non-dominant hand with the palm up below briefly swings sideways twice.

Baby Signing BABY

In the video clip, the baby signs "baby" and then points to herself, when she watches herself in the video album on the computer screen.

Linguistics and neuroscience studies show that language acquisition in visual-spatial modality (signing) is on the similar timeline as in vocal-aural modality (speech).

What are the myths of baby sign language? "Baby sign language" is cultural appropriation. What are the facts about signing with baby?

Related sign-words

It all starts with a stork. No, sorry, it all begins with a sperm and egg, then EMBRYO, FETUS, NEWBORN, BABY, TODDLER who toddles faster than mama, PRESCHOOLER who finally unleashes a short leash from mama, KID or CHILD.

Word associations: No baby is without MILK, especially BREASTMILK (nature's greatest unbeatable baby food).

Written ASL

[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.]

ASL written for BABY

Written ASL digit for "BABY" contributed by the ASLwrite community, 2018.

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Search Tips and Pointers

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.

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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.

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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. :)

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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.