ASL to English Reverse Dictionary

How to use ASL-English search

Select a prime of each parameter plus a handed type and search for the ASL sign.

Tip 1: If a sign has more than two handshapes, locations, or sometimes handed types, try one of the two and then then the other. If a handshape has a gradient in movement between handshapes 0 and 5, try 5-half as in LEARN, EXPERIENCE, SLEEP, STORY.

Tip 2: If a dominant handshape has a phonological variation, try either handshapes in your search.

Handshape prime

Pick a handshape of the ASL word based on the dominant hand, regardless of the one-handed or two-handed production.

Example: pick "10-num" (handshape), repeated (movement), head-side or face (location). The result will show you a few possible signs close to EVERYDAY.

Movement prime

Pick a movement of the dominant hand regardless of one-handed or two-handed.

Handspeak uses two more generic movement primes: reduplicated (repeated) and unidirectional (non-repeated) for now.

To identify what this ASL sign is, select "1-num" (handshape), repeated (movement), palm (location), and two-handed alternating.

To find out what this means, select "10-s" (handshape), unidirectional (movement), "10-s" (location), and two-handed mirror.

Location prime

Pick a location of the base part of body, including the non-dominant hand, where the dominant hand makes either contact with or close contact with.

If an ASL word has its multiple locations in one production, try (not always) the initial location of the production and then the destination of the location.

If one or two hands are not in contact or near contact, use "neutral space". If the dominant hand is in contact (or close contact) with the base hand other than a specific listed handshape or palm, use "hand" (any handshape).

This sign "DO-IT-YOURSELF" uses neutral space (location) and "10" handshape. Select "one-handed" for a handed type.

Select "2" handshape, "unidirectional" movement, "1" handshape (location), and one-handed.

More examples

If the ASL sign you saw, here is how you would select the parameters and its handed type.

Select "3-close" for handshape, "repeat" for movement, "hand" for location, and "mirror" or two-handed symmetry. Sometimes there is a phonological variation (e.g. "U or H" handshape in RABBIT" so select another handshape to try.

Select "9-num" for handshape, "unidir" for movement, "9-num" for location, and "alternating" for handed. You will get "INFER". If "repeat" for movement, you will get "INTERPRET" as in "translate" and "INTERPRETER" in search result.