How to Sign "World" in American Sign Language

In American Sign Language (ASL), WORLD is signed with both hands in a W handshape. Your dominant hand circles forward around your other hand and finishes resting on top of it. The circle suggests something orbiting a globe, and the W handshape comes from the first letter of the English word. Signs that borrow a letter this way are called initialized signs.

Which sign language this covers

There is no single universal sign language. This guide describes the ASL sign, which is used in the United States and parts of Canada. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, Auslan or French Sign Language, have their own signs for this concept. Even within ASL, regional or personal variants exist, so a signer you meet may produce it slightly differently. WORLD is also a different sign from EARTH, so check which concept you need.

The handshape: W

To make a W, extend your index, middle and ring fingers and spread them apart. Fold your little finger down and hold it in place with your thumb. In ASL this is the same handshape as the number 6, and context tells the two apart. Make the W on both hands before you start moving.

Step by step

• 1. Decide which hand is dominant. This is usually the hand you write with. Left-handed signers mirror every step below.
• 2. Form a W handshape with both hands.
• 3. Hold both hands in front of your chest with the palms facing each other. Place your dominant hand slightly above your non-dominant hand.
• 4. Move your dominant hand forward, away from your body. Then bring it down and back toward you so that it travels in a circle around your non-dominant hand.
• 5. Finish with your dominant hand resting on top of your non-dominant hand. Keep both hands in the W shape throughout.

How to check your sign

• Both hands show three spread fingers, with the little finger tucked under the thumb.
• Your non-dominant hand stays mostly still, and your dominant hand does the moving.
• The circle goes forward first, not backward toward your body.
• The movement ends with contact: your dominant hand rests on top of your other hand rather than stopping in mid-air.
• The motion is one smooth circle, not a series of separate jabs.

Common mistakes

Mistake | What to do instead

Using open hands or a V shape | Form a W with three extended fingers on both hands

Circling only one hand in the air | Circle the dominant hand around the non-dominant hand

Circling backward | Start the circle by moving forward, away from your body

Ending with the hands apart | Finish with your dominant hand on top of your non-dominant hand

Swapping dominant hands partway through | Keep one hand as the mover for the whole sign

Practicing in front of a mirror or camera

A mirror or a camera's self-view lets you compare your sign against the checklist above. Many video-call apps mirror your self-preview by default, which can make the direction of your hands look reversed to you. The people on the call usually see the unmirrored image, so trust your own sense of which hand is moving rather than the preview.

Limits of a written description

No verified video, dictionary entry or instructor review was supplied for this article. The description above follows the commonly taught form of the ASL sign, but text cannot fully convey movement, speed or hand orientation. Before relying on the sign, confirm it against a reputable ASL video dictionary or with a Deaf signer or qualified ASL instructor. If you are communicating in a sign language other than ASL, look up that language's sign separately.