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Check my grant optionsCommunication skills · Study tool
ASL alphabet chart
Read how each of the 26 letters of the American Sign Language manual alphabet is made, then practice naming them. Free, and every answer is explained.
- 26 letters
- 16 practice questions
- Spell any word
- No sign-up needed
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1 · The alphabet
All 26 letters, in words
Pick a letter to read how the hand is held. The descriptions are for a right-handed signer, with the palm facing the person you are spelling to. J and Z are drawn in the air.
Choose a letter above.
2 · Practice
Name the letter
Read the description and pick the letter. Your score is free, with no sign-up.
16 questions
Question 1 of 16
Which letter is this? A closed fist with the thumb resting against the side of the first finger, pointing up.
3 · Bonus
Look-alike letters and a word speller
The bonus has 12 more questions on the letters that look alike, a word speller that lists each letter’s handshape, and a one-page printable letter list. Finish the practice above, then use the signup box to open it.
Sources
Where the facts come from
Questions
Common questions
No. The manual alphabet, called fingerspelling, spells out names, places and words that have no sign of their own. American Sign Language is a full language with its own grammar, and most of it is made of signs rather than letters.
J and Z. J is drawn in the air with the little finger, starting from the I handshape, and Z is drawn in the air with the first finger.
A, S, T, N, M and E are all made with a closed hand and differ in where the thumb sits. U, V and R all use the first two fingers. The bonus practice set drills these.
This page is text only, so each handshape is described the way a teacher would say it. Check your hand against a live signer or your course materials when you can.
The chart, the 16 practice questions and your score are free with no sign-up. An email unlocks the bonus: 12 look-alike questions, a word speller and a printable letter list.
Your next step
Studying for a program? See if grant money may help pay for it.
Answer a few quick questions about the program you want, and we will show you schools and ways to pay. Pell Grants of up to $7,395 a year may be available to students who qualify. Most students receive less, and your FAFSA and the school you attend decide.
Check my optionsCollegeCompass360 is an independent service. We are not a school and not a government agency, and we do not award aid. Whether you qualify, and for how much, is decided by your FAFSA and the school you attend.