How to Sign "Different" in ASL

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the common form of DIFFERENT uses both index fingers. Cross them in front of your chest to form an X, then pull your hands apart to the sides. The crossed fingers separating carry the idea of things diverging.

This guide describes the widely taught citation form, meaning the standard dictionary version of a sign. No specific source or measurement was supplied for this article. Signing also varies by region, community, and context, so compare this description with a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or with a fluent Deaf signer.

Step by step

• 1. Make a "1" handshape with each hand: index finger extended, other fingers curled, thumb tucked.
• 2. Raise both hands to roughly chest height, a comfortable distance in front of your body.
• 3. Cross the index fingers to form an X. Your palms generally face away from you or slightly downward.
• 4. Move your hands apart, each going out to its own side, in one smooth motion.
• 5. Stop with your hands a little wider than your shoulders and relax them.

Common mistakes

• Keeping the index fingers side by side instead of crossing them. Parallel index fingers are associated with signs about sameness, which is close to the opposite meaning.
• Making the movement so small that the separation is hard to see.
• Letting other fingers stay loose or partly open, which blurs the handshape.
• Signing too low, near the waist, where the sign can drop out of view, especially on camera.

How to check your sign

Watch yourself in a mirror or record a short clip with your camera's preview or recording app. Compare it with a dictionary video. Check four things: both hands show a clear "1" handshape, the fingers visibly cross, the hands move apart symmetrically, and the whole movement stays in view from start to finish. If you can, ask a fluent signer for feedback. Self-checking catches visibility problems but cannot confirm natural usage.

Making the sign readable on a video call

A working camera does not guarantee that a sign comes through clearly. The camera can be connected, browser permission granted, and video showing, yet a sign can still be hard to read if it is cut off, dim, or blurred. These adjustments help with DIFFERENT and most other signs:

• Framing: position the camera so your hands stay in view from chest level out past your shoulders. DIFFERENT ends wider than your body, so a tight head-and-shoulders crop can cut off the final position.
• Lighting: light your face and hands from the front. A bright window behind you can turn your hands into silhouettes.
• Background: a plain physical background that contrasts with your skin tone makes finger shapes easier to see.
• Virtual effects: virtual backgrounds and blur effects in call apps can distort or erase fast-moving fingers at the edges. If your hands flicker or vanish in the preview, turn the effect off.
• Motion: a steady pace helps when the connection is weak, because compression and low frame rates can smear quick movements.

Limitations of this guide

A written description cannot fully capture movement, timing, or the facial expression that can add emphasis, such as signing "very different." Regional and personal variants exist, and this guide does not cover them. For learning or high-stakes communication, use video references and guidance from Deaf instructors or community members.