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ASL Dictionary: Letter A — All ASL Signs Starting with A

Complete index of American Sign Language (ASL) signs starting with the letter A — 274 entries with free video demonstrations. Click any word to see the handshape, movement, location, and facial expression for that sign. Part of the ASL Interactive Best ASL Dictionary with over 5,000 signs.

New to ASL? Start with high-frequency A words: Able/Can, Again, All, Animal, Ask.

Complete Word List — A

A, AA– (6 signs)

Ab– (10 signs)

Ac– (22 signs)

Ad– (18 signs)

Af– (10 signs)

Ag– (8 signs)

Ah– (2 signs)

Ai– (7 signs)

Al– (37 signs)

Am– (13 signs)

An– (35 signs)

Ap– (19 signs)

Ar– (23 signs)

As– (30 signs)

At– (12 signs)

Au– (14 signs)

Av– (6 signs)

Aw– (2 signs)

Common Questions: ASL Signs Starting with A

What is the ASL sign for the letter A?

The letter A in ASL is a closed fist with the thumb resting alongside the index finger, palm facing outward. It is one of 26 handshapes in the ASL manual alphabet used for fingerspelling. See the sign for A.

What is the ASL sign for Able or Can?

ABLE and CAN use the same sign: both hands in an “A” or “S” handshape, moving firmly downward in front of the body to convey capability. See the sign for Able/Can.

What is the ASL sign for Again?

AGAIN is signed with the non-dominant hand flat and palm up, while the dominant hand curves and taps into the palm once. See the sign for Again.

What is the ASL sign for All?

ALL is signed with one hand sweeping in a circular motion around the other, indicating totality or completeness. See the sign for All.

What is the ASL sign for Angry?

ANGRY uses a claw handshape in front of the face moving outward. Facial expression is required — non-manual markers carry grammatical weight in ASL. See the sign for Angry.

What is the ASL sign for Animal?

ANIMAL uses both bent hands on the chest, fingertips touching, rocking outward to mimic an animal breathing. See the sign for Animal.

What is the ASL sign for Apple?

APPLE uses an X handshape (bent index finger) twisting at the cheek, like turning an apple stem. See the sign for Apple.

What is the ASL sign for Ask?

ASK is a directional verb — the index finger curves downward toward the person being asked. Direction changes based on who is asking whom. See the sign for Ask.

Are ASL signs the same as English words?

No. ASL is a complete, independent language with its own grammar — not a manual version of English. Facial expressions serve grammatical functions: they mark questions, negation, and intensity. Many concepts in ASL do not map one-to-one with English.

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