Printable Sign Language Alphabet

Have you ever seen Deaf people signing and said “I want to learn that!” ASL is a captivating and attractive visual language that has its own grammar and structure. Sign language has been the primary mode of communication for the Deaf for hundreds of years now, although until it has only recently, it’s being adopted into more and more schools and state universities as a true foreign language. Using the letters of the English Alphabet, Deaf people use hand shapes to make letters and numbers to spell (finger spelling) and communicate one with another. TerpNetwork.com has put together an ASL finger spelling chart that is printable and easy to use.

Free Printable American Sign Language (ASL) Alphabet Chart

Our free printable American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet chart is easy to down load and print right from your very own home. Using the letters of the English Alphabet, Deaf people use hand shapes to make letters and numbers to spell (finger spelling) and communicate one with another. The ASL alphabet is the very first step in learning sign language. The chart is easy to understand and even easier to use; simply click on the link below and download the PDF, then...? PRINT!

You can use the ASL alphabet to spell words like your name, streets, and places. If you are just learning ASL, you can use finger spelling in substitute signed vocabulary words you are unfamiliar with, so as to learn them as you go. You won’t be able to fluently communicate to a Deaf person just yet, but learning the alphabet shows a willingness and desire to try.

If you work or are closely associated with a Deaf person, this chart can come in handy. Learning the ASL alphabet wont bridge the gap between you and a person who is Deaf, but the saying goes “By small and simple things, great things come to pass”. So, just keep learning.

The ASL alphabet can also be taught to children in school as a fun and interactive way to learn our Standard English alphabet. Young children often pick up ASL far quicker than adults and remember most of it well into their youth. The ASL alphabet is a hands-on way for children to learn the English Alphabet.

There are lots of fun games to play that can be played with when just learning the ASL alphabet as well as some tricks to learning it quickly on your own. Here is one game and one hint that can help you.

Game
Have your group or class sit in a circle, and pick one person to be first. Who ever is first is going to start the game by signing A, then the next person signs B, and so on. Keep signing the letters around the circle until your group reaches Z, if someone in the group can not remember a letter, only the very next person can help them to keep the letters going, if two people in a row can not figure out the sign for the next letter then anyone in the group can then help and the game resumes with the next person starting out with A all over again. Keep going until you reach Z as a team.

This game promotes learning by repetition and team work, all at the same time.

Hint
Here is a hint that will help you if you are trying to learn the ASL alphabet alone. After printing the PDF fold it up so it can fit in your pocket or purse. Laminate it, if you can? Then every time you are waiting like at an appointment, in an elevator, in the “lavatory” pull out the paper and practice for 60 seconds. After you think you got all the signs down pretty well, try to spell words you see around when you are walking or driving i.e. street signs, billboards, programs, files.

Learning the American Sign Language alphabet is easier than you think, have fun and thank you for choosing TerpNetwork.com for your ASL resources. Please, let us know if there is anything else we can do to better serve you.

If you like learning ASL and want to learn more, check out our list of American Sign Language schools.

Download this Printable Sign Language Alphabet (PDF)