How to Sign More

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), MORE is signed with both hands in a flattened O shape: fingertips gathered together and touching the thumb. Hold your hands in front of your chest and tap the fingertips of both hands together, usually twice.

This guide assumes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, are separate languages with their own vocabulary, so this sign may not carry the same meaning in them. If you are communicating with someone who uses a different sign language, check that language specifically.

Step by step

• 1. Form the handshape on each hand. Bring all four fingertips together so they touch the pad of your thumb. The fingers stay fairly straight rather than curled into a fist, giving a flattened O.
• 2. Position your hands. Hold both hands in front of your chest or upper torso, with the fingertips pointing toward each other.
• 3. Make the movement. Bring the fingertips of both hands together so they touch, separate them slightly, and touch them again. A double tap is the common citation form.
• 4. Keep it relaxed. The tap should be light and controlled, not a clap or a forceful bump.

How to check that you are signing it correctly

• Handshape: In a mirror, each hand should show fingertips meeting the thumb, not a closed fist and not open fingers.
• Contact point: The fingertips of one hand should meet the fingertips of the other. Palms or knuckles should not make contact.
• Location: The sign should happen in the space in front of your chest, not up near your face.
• Movement: You should see two brief, matching taps.

A mirror or a recording of yourself can confirm that your handshape, location and movement match the description. It cannot confirm finer details such as rhythm, natural facial expression, or how the sign fits into a full sentence. For those, compare your signing with a video from a qualified ASL source, ideally one featuring a Deaf signer, or ask a fluent signer for feedback.

Signs that are easy to confuse with MORE

Sign | How it differs from MORE

EAT / FOOD | One flattened O hand taps near the mouth rather than two hands meeting in front of the chest.

AGAIN | One bent hand arcs over and lands in the upturned palm of the other hand, instead of two flattened O hands tapping fingertip to fingertip.

CLAPPING (often seen in toddlers) | Flat palms strike each other. Young children learning baby sign often produce MORE this way, and caregivers usually accept it as an approximation.

Meaning and context

MORE is commonly used to ask for or offer more of something, such as more food, more time or more of an activity. That is why it is one of the first signs many families teach in baby sign. When you are asking for more, your facial expression matters. Raised eyebrows typically mark a yes/no question in ASL, so signing MORE with raised eyebrows can work as "More?"

English uses "more" in comparisons too, as in "more expensive" or "more than." ASL does not always handle comparison by adding this sign. How comparisons are expressed can depend on context and signing style, so if you need comparative phrasing, ask a fluent signer or an instructor rather than translating word for word.

Finding a video of the sign

A written description cannot fully show movement, so watching the sign is the most reliable next step. Look for an established ASL dictionary or a course taught by Deaf instructors. These sources are more dependable than random clips, which can show regional variations, simplified baby-sign forms, or mistakes.

If you practice or sign MORE on a video call, keep both hands within the camera frame at chest height. Use enough light that your fingertips are clearly visible, because the contact between the fingertips is the key detail a viewer needs to see.

Limitations of this guide

No specific reference material was supplied for this article. The description above reflects the commonly taught ASL citation form of MORE and should be confirmed against a video from a qualified ASL source. Regional and individual variation exists, and this guide does not cover sign languages other than ASL.