Your first signs start here.
Learn a handshape.
Fingerspelling is one part of ASL. ASL has its own grammar, facial expressions, and signs; knowing the alphabet is a starting point. Learn more ↗
Meet the letter L
A simple shape. A great place to start.
The image could not load. Open the image source above.
Let your hand follow the picture.
Notice which fingers are curled, where the thumb rests, and the direction the hand faces. Some illustrations use a side view to make the shape clearer.
Alphabet illustrations: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Credits
Your turn to sign
Compare your hand with the reference.
Use even light and keep your whole hand in view. Either hand works.
Waiting for camera
Experimental estimate · 88+ and a steady hold required
⌁ Video stays in your browser. No video is recorded.
Show finger tracking
Labels show which points the tracker thinks are your thumb and fingers. These are camera estimates, so hidden or overlapping fingers can be misread.
Enable the camera to see finger estimates.
Report a recognition issue
Optional: capture 8 seconds of hand-point coordinates and scoring checks. No photos, video or audio. The report stays in this tab unless you download and share it yourself.
Capture is off.
Turn on your camera to check this handshape, or practice with the steps.
Spell your name.
Practice one letter at a time with camera feedback.
See the alphabet in motion.
Watch hand position and movement in an instructor’s demonstration, especially for J and Z.
ASL alphabet with Bill Vicars ↗Open the original YouTube lesson.Letter-by-letter demonstrations ↗Study the alphabet on HandSpeak.On YouTube, choose Settings → Playback speed → 0.5× or 0.25×. Replay the section you want to practice.
These links open independent teaching resources. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Final step: Alphabet test
Test your recall without the guides. Sign each requested letter before time runs out. Choose all 26 letters to set your best alphabet score.
Random letters · each timeout counts as incorrect. Camera setup time does not count. Turning off the camera or leaving this tab pauses the attempt.
This is a practice test using experimental recognition. A missed match can be a camera error, not necessarily a signing error.
keep learning! For feedback and conversation practice, look for a class taught by a Deaf ASL instructor.
Learn by doing
Follow a short guide, then try the shape with your own hands.
Know what to adjust
A visible match score shows your progress toward automatic completion.
Build real connections
Handshapes are a beginning. Keep learning from Deaf teachers.
About the camera coach & learning resources
All 26 letters and the bonus ILY have experimental landmark-based match scores. J and Z also require a tracked movement. The score measures how closely the detected landmarks fit handshape rules; it is not a probability or a validated ASL grade. Similar shapes, hidden fingers, lighting, hand mobility, and camera angle can cause mistakes. A static letter completes after a match to the requested letter’s rules at 88/100 or above is held for just over a second. Moving letters complete after the shape and trajectory match. Timed test results reflect this detector, not a professional assessment of signing skill.
Learn from ASL University, by Dr. Bill Vicars. Camera detection uses Google MediaPipe. The model downloads when you enable the camera; video is processed on your device. Camera completions and test results are saved only in this browser. Previous manually marked practice is kept separately and does not count as a camera completion. Instructor links open external websites. Illustrations are served with this app. These resources do not imply a review or endorsement of the app.