How to Sign "Woman" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the most common sign for WOMAN uses an open hand with the fingers spread. Touch the tip of your thumb to your chin, then move your hand down so the thumb touches the middle of your chest. It is one smooth movement with two contact points: chin, then chest.

One clarification matters here: sign language is not universal. This guide covers ASL, which is used in the United States and parts of Canada. British Sign Language, Auslan and other national sign languages have their own signs for woman. If you are communicating with someone who uses a different sign language, check a dictionary for that language rather than relying on the ASL sign.

Step-by-step: signing WOMAN

• 1. Use your dominant hand, the one you write with.
• 2. Form a "5" handshape: an open hand with all five fingers extended and spread apart.
• 3. Turn your palm to face sideways, toward your non-dominant side, with your fingers pointing up.
• 4. Touch the tip of your thumb to your chin.
• 5. Move your hand straight down, keeping the same handshape, until the tip of your thumb touches the center of your chest.
• 6. Keep the motion smooth and unhurried; do not pause or reshape your hand between the two touches.

Why the sign is placed at the chin

Many ASL signs related to gender follow a location pattern. Signs referring to females are often made near the chin or lower face, while signs referring to males are made near the forehead. Knowing this pattern makes WOMAN easier to remember and helps you avoid confusing it with related signs.

Sign | Handshape | Movement | Meaning

WOMAN | Open "5" hand | Thumb touches chin, then chest | Woman

MAN | Open "5" hand | Thumb touches forehead, then chest | Man

GIRL | "A" hand (fist with thumb along the side) | Thumb strokes down along the jawline toward the chin | Girl

FINE | Open "5" hand | Thumb touches chest | Fine, okay

Because WOMAN ends where FINE is signed, you may see it described as a chin touch followed by FINE. The full movement from chin to chest is what makes it WOMAN.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Starting at the forehead: this changes the sign to MAN.
• Keeping the fingers pressed together: the fingers should be spread in the "5" handshape.
• Touching with the palm or fingertips: the contact at both the chin and the chest is made with the tip of the thumb.
• Stopping at the chin: without the downward movement to the chest, the sign is incomplete.
• Switching hands mid-conversation: choose your dominant hand and use it consistently.

Variations you might see

ASL varies by region, generation and community, much like spoken accents. Some signers use an older two-part form that begins with a stroke along the jaw, similar to GIRL, before finishing with an open hand. The chin-to-chest version described above is widely used and understood. If you are learning to communicate with a specific person or community, the most reliable reference is how Deaf signers in that community sign it.

How to check that you are signing it correctly

Practice in front of a mirror, or record a short video of yourself, and compare your movement against the checklist below. This confirms your handshape, placement and movement, but it cannot confirm whether you are using the variant preferred in a particular community. For that, feedback from a fluent signer or ASL instructor is the best check.

• Your fingers are spread, not closed together.
• Your thumb tip, not your palm, makes contact.
• The first contact is at your chin, not your forehead or cheek.
• The second contact is at the center of your chest.
• The movement between the two points is a single, smooth downward motion.

Limitations of this guide

Written descriptions can explain the handshape, location and movement of a sign, but they cannot fully capture timing, facial expression or the natural flow of signing in conversation. This guide covers the citation form of a single ASL sign. It does not cover other national sign languages, regional ASL variants in detail, or how the sign changes in context, such as plurals or descriptive phrases.