How to Sign "Video" in ASL

The short answer

A commonly taught American Sign Language (ASL) sign for VIDEO uses a V handshape that moves in a small circle against the flat palm of your other hand. The V comes from the first letter of the English word. The flat hand acts as a surface, much like a screen.

This guide describes the sign in words only. Movement is hard to capture in text, and signs can vary by region, community and generation. Confirm the form with an ASL video dictionary or a fluent Deaf signer before relying on it.

Step by step

• 1. Hold your non-dominant hand up, flat and open, with the fingers together and pointing upward. Turn the palm toward your dominant side so it forms a surface.
• 2. With your dominant hand, make a V: index and middle fingers extended and slightly spread, other fingers folded down with the thumb holding them.
• 3. Bring the V to the palm of your flat hand so the two fingers touch or nearly touch it.
• 4. Move the V in a small, smooth circle against the palm. Keep the circle compact and relaxed rather than large or fast.

Your dominant hand is the one you naturally write with or use most. Left-handed signers usually mirror the whole sign, which is normal and correct.

Which meaning of "video" do you need?

The English word "video" covers several ideas, and ASL often uses different signs for them. Choosing the wrong one can change your meaning.

• A video as a general thing or format: the V-on-palm sign described above is the usual starting point.
• A movie or film: ASL typically uses a separate sign, MOVIE, in which an open hand with spread fingers wiggles or shakes against the flat palm of the other hand, suggesting flickering frames.
• A video call or videophone: signers often use dedicated signs that differ from VIDEO. Check a dictionary or ask local signers rather than combining VIDEO with another sign on your own.
• Recording or filming something: this is an action, and it is usually expressed with a different sign from the noun VIDEO.

If you are unsure which sign fits, fingerspelling V-I-D-E-O is always understandable. Once the topic is established, you can ask the other person which sign they use and adopt it.

Check your sign on camera

Recording yourself, or using the self-view in a video-call app, is a practical way to check handshape and movement. It also confirms your setup works for signing on calls. Keep three separate checks in mind: whether the browser or operating system has granted camera access, whether the camera actually captures a usable image, and whether the call delivers that image clearly to the other person.

• Framing: show yourself from roughly the top of the head to the waist, with room on both sides. The V and the flat palm should stay fully in frame through the whole circle.
• Lighting: light your face and hands from the front. A bright window behind you can turn your hands into silhouettes and hide finger detail.
• Background: a plain physical background that contrasts with your skin tone and clothing makes handshapes easier to read. Virtual backgrounds and blur effects in call apps can clip or smear fingers during movement, so test them before relying on them.
• Mirrored self-view: many apps show your preview flipped like a mirror. Your hands may appear on the opposite side to you, even though other participants usually see you unflipped. Don't "correct" your signing to match the preview.
• Motion on the call: a clear self-view doesn't guarantee a clear picture for the other person. A weak connection or low frame rate can blur the small circular movement. If someone has trouble reading you, slow down slightly or fingerspell the word.

Limitations of this guide

No specific dictionary entries, regional surveys or recorded examples were available for this article. The description above reflects a widely taught form, not a verified standard for every community. Details such as the exact palm orientation, whether the fingertips or the side of the fingers touch the palm, and the size of the circle may differ between sources and signers. For learning ASL more broadly, a video-based course or a Deaf instructor will show these details far more reliably than written instructions.