How to Sign "Allow" in ASL

In American Sign Language (ASL), "allow" is usually expressed with the sign glossed as LET. Hold both hands flat with palms facing each other and fingertips angled down. Then swing both hands up and forward together so the fingertips end up pointing ahead of you. ASL signs carry meanings, not English words, so this one sign covers "allow," "let" and everyday "permit."

Step by step

• 1. Make a flat hand with each hand: fingers together and straight, thumb resting alongside. This is often called the B handshape.
• 2. Hold both hands in front of your body at about waist height, a little apart, with palms facing each other.
• 3. Point your fingertips downward and slightly forward.
• 4. Bend at the wrists and swing both hands up and forward in one smooth arc, keeping them parallel.
• 5. Finish with your fingertips pointing forward or slightly upward and your palms still facing each other.

Choosing the right sign for your meaning

Use LET for "allow" in the sense of giving permission or letting something happen, as in "My boss allows remote work." PERMIT can also be signed with the same movement using P handshapes instead of flat hands. Some signers use that version for a more formal or specific sense of "permit."

Some English uses of "allow" need a different sign. "Allow for" in the sense of "take into account" is a different concept, and LET is not the right choice there. For "not allowed," signers often use a separate sign, usually glossed as FORBID, rather than just adding NOT to LET. Look up either of these separately if that is the meaning you need.

Your face is part of ASL grammar. Asking a yes/no question such as "Am I allowed?" is normally marked by raised eyebrows while you sign. A plain statement uses a neutral expression.

Checking your sign on camera

• Frame yourself from the top of your head to below your waist. The sign starts low, and a tight head-and-shoulders crop can cut off the starting position.
• Leave space on both sides so neither hand moves out of the frame.
• Light yourself from the front so your hands and face are not in shadow.
• A plain physical background that contrasts with your skin and clothing makes handshapes easier to read.
• Virtual background or blur effects in call apps can smear or partly erase moving hands. Turn them off when clarity matters, or check how they look in the preview first.
• Remember that your self-view only shows that the camera is capturing video. It doesn't show how smooth the motion looks on the other end. Ask the other person whether your signing came through clearly.

Compare your result with a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or a Deaf instructor. Watch the starting fingertip direction, the size of the arc and whether your hands stay parallel.

Limitations of this guide

This guide describes the sign in text only. No video reference or survey of regional usage was available, so it cannot capture local variations in starting height, movement size or handshape. A fluent signer or a video dictionary is the most reliable way to confirm the sign. Note that ASL is not universal, and other sign languages use different signs for "allow."

If you were actually looking for the "Allow" button that lets a browser or app use your camera or microphone, that is a separate topic. Clicking it grants access, but it doesn't confirm that video or audio is being captured, so test that separately.