How to Sign Slow

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), SLOW is usually signed with both hands flat and palms facing down. Your dominant hand slides slowly along the back of your other hand, moving from the fingertips toward the wrist. The movement is deliberately unhurried, so how fast you move is part of the meaning.

Two things can change what you need. First, this guide covers ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, have their own signs, and ASL itself has regional variants. Second, "how to sign slow" can also mean asking someone to slow down their signing. That use is covered below.

Step by step: signing SLOW

• 1. Hold your non-dominant hand flat in front of your body, roughly at chest or waist height. Keep the palm down and the fingers together, pointing forward or slightly to the side.
• 2. Lay your dominant hand flat on the back of your non-dominant hand, near the fingers, with that palm facing down too.
• 3. Slide your dominant hand back along the top of the other hand toward the wrist. Some signers let the movement continue a little way onto the forearm.
• 4. Make the slide one smooth, slow stroke. Don't tap and don't rush.

How to check that you are doing it right

Watch yourself in a mirror or in a short video recording of your hands, and go through these checks:

• Hand shape: both hands are flat, with the fingers together rather than spread.
• Palm orientation: both palms face down.
• Direction: the dominant hand travels from the fingertips toward the wrist, not the other way.
• Speed: the stroke looks noticeably slow and relaxed.
• Number of movements: it is one continuous slide, not repeated taps.

A mirror reverses left and right. A recording shows what another person will actually see. Either one confirms your hand shape, palm direction and movement. Neither one confirms that your version matches the variant used in your local Deaf community.

Showing how slow

ASL signers often change a sign's movement and facial expression to show degree. Stretching out the slide and pairing it with a matching expression can suggest "very slow." If you are a beginner, learn the standard form first and add this kind of emphasis once you have seen fluent signers use it.

Asking someone to sign more slowly

If you can't keep up with someone, you can sign PLEASE followed by SLOW. Signers commonly use this request, and many Deaf people welcome it from learners. To ask for a repeat instead, the sign AGAIN is often used. Wording and order can vary, so follow what the people you sign with actually use.

Limits of this guide

No source material, video references or dictionary entries were supplied for this article. The description above reflects the commonly taught ASL form, not a verified citation. Written descriptions also can't fully capture movement, so confirm the sign against a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or a Deaf instructor before relying on it, especially if you are learning for a specific community or region.