When you learn British Sign Language, one of the first skills you’ll encounter is fingerspelling. Fingerspelling plays a huge role in everyday communication and sets a strong foundation for anyone learning British Sign Language (BSL).
At Signature, we’re proud to be the UK’s leading awarding body for Deaf communication and language communications. To support your learning, on this page you can find a simple introduction to fingerspelling as well as useful PDF resources.
Fingerspelling is a language learning system which involves spelling out words using specific handshapes. These handshapes, each with their own unique position, make up all the letters of the British Sign Language fingerspelling alphabet.
Learning the fingerspelling alphabet that BSL users rely on is the first step in understanding how visual languages work in both practice and theory.
If you are looking to learn fingerspelling for the first time, we recommend focusing on recognising letter shapes, producing them clearly, and practising short fingerspelling words at a comfortable but steadily increasing pace.
Deaf BSL users utilise the British Sign Language fingerspelling alphabet daily, and for many reasons.
Whether it’s to clarify the meaning behind words, introduce new words, or spell out complex information such as names and locations, fingerspelling is essential for fluid BSL communication.
BSL fingerspelling can help users:
Many learners find that once they are comfortable with the BSL alphabet, it becomes easier to learn new signs and participate in basic conversations.
At Signature, we’re proud to have over 40 years’ experience as a national charity and the leading awarding body for deaf communication and language qualifications in the UK. In this time, we’ve helped more than 600,000 people learn British Sign Language with confidence.
If you’d like to learn fingerspelling for the first time, our PDF resources are designed to help you:
We recommend conducting regular fingerspelling BSL practice in the form of short yet frequent practice sessions. Use our PDFs as reference materials, watch how the letters start to flow in movement as you speed up your pace, and practice with others whenever possible to improve confidence and success in real-world scenarios.
Take a look at our range of free BSL alphabet PDF resources to support learners, educators, and organisations. We’ve designed each fingerspelling resource to be as clear and simple as possible to support your learning journey.
These resources can be used independently or alongside formal learning, and are suitable for anyone wanting to practice their fingerspelling alphabet BSL skills.
| Signature Fingerspelling Chart | A clear visual overview of the full BSL fingerspelling alphabet. Recommended as a quick reference while learning and practising. Click to download |
| Signature Fingerspelling Chart - Right-Handed | A right-handed version of the BSL alphabet chart. Click to download |
| Signature Fingerspelling Chart - Left-Handed | A left-handed version of the alphabet chart. Click to download |
| Fingerspelling Chart - School BSL Pack | A version created for educational settings to help support teachers and students. Click to download |
| Deafblind Manual Alphabet Chart | A specialist chart introducing the deafblind manual alphabet for situations where visual signing may not be accessible. Click to download |
| Block Alphabet Chart | A basic chart showing the Block Alphabet, used to spell letters by tracing them on the palm - very helpful when communicating with a deafblind person. Click to download |
It’s normal to have questions about fingerspelling, especially if you’re a beginner. Here are some answers to our most common queries about fingerspelling.
Yes. In fact, it’s the first skill taught to people with no previous experience of BSL. You do not need any prior knowledge to learn fingerspelling.
There are many different types of fingerspelling depending on location, speed, and clarity of execution. However, the most common types reflect a difference in hand use:
There are also different types of fingerspelling by execution style, such as rapid and tactile fingerspelling, and by linguistic function, such as neutral and lexicalised fingerspelling.
Not at all. You do not need any prior knowledge of fingerspelling to enrol on our BSL courses. However, if you are planning to learn British Sign Language, becoming familiar with fingerspelling early on can help boost confidence.
Ready to take your fingerspelling learning one step further? We work with a variety of Signature Approved centres across the UK. All of our centres offer recognised deaf communication and sign language qualifications, as well as friendly teachers to support you at every stage of your learning journey.
For more information, use our centre finder below or feel free to contact our team to find out what it’s like to study sign language with Signature.
Leave your Name, Email, and the details of your enquiry, and a member of our friendly and knowledgeable team will get back to you as soon as possible.
