← Back to the Sign Language Course · Accessibility Services
The alphabet chart
This is the ASL fingerspelling chart — every letter, drawn from real hands. It comes from the public-domain chart first drawn for Gallaudet and kept by Wikimedia Commons, so it is free for everyone to learn from and share.
Work down the chart. Make the shape, hold it still, say the letter. Two letters move: J draws a J with the little finger, and Z draws a Z with the pointing finger.
Watch the alphabet demonstrated on the course page, then come back and spell along.
The signs
THE LETTER CHART
- Handshape
- One hand does the spelling — the hand you write with.
- Place
- Hold it up by your shoulder so your friend can see.
- Movement
- Make each letter from the big chart. Hold each letter still, like a statue.
Remember it: Statue hands — hold every letter still.
SPELL YOUR NAME
- Handshape
- Use the chart, one letter at a time.
- Place
- By your shoulder.
- Movement
- Go slow. Slow is how friends can read it.
Remember it: Your name is the first word your fingers learn.
J AND Z MOVE
- Handshape
- J starts like I — little finger up. Z is one pointing finger.
- Place
- By your shoulder.
- Movement
- J draws a J in the air. Z draws a Z in the air. These two letters get to move!
Remember it: J and Z are the drawing letters.
Try It — sign it yourself
- Spell your name with statue hands — hold every letter still.
- Spell a friend's name. Can they read it?
- Find the letters of your name on the big chart.
Hands learn by doing. Slow and clear beats fast and sloppy — every time.
Vocabulary — words to keep
| Word | Spelling | What the sign does | A line to remember it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE LETTER CHART | The Letter Chart | Make each letter from the big chart. | Statue hands — hold every letter still. |
| SPELL YOUR NAME | Spell Your Name | Go slow. | Your name is the first word your fingers learn. |
| J AND Z MOVE | J And Z Move | J draws a J in the air. | J and Z are the drawing letters. |