Professor in Sign Language: How to Sign It and Check Your Signing on Camera

The short answer

There is no single universal sign for "professor." Sign languages differ by country, so the answer depends on which one you mean. This guide covers American Sign Language (ASL), the language most relevant to US readers. In ASL, a professor is commonly referred to with the sign for TEACHER, with context making clear that you mean a university instructor. If you need the exact word, you can fingerspell it, meaning you spell it letter by letter with the manual alphabet.

If you mean a different sign language, such as Russian Sign Language or British Sign Language, the ASL sign below does not apply. Check a dictionary or a fluent signer for that language.

How to sign TEACHER in ASL, step by step

TEACHER is a compound of two parts: the verb TEACH, followed by a "person" marker that turns the action into the person who does it.

• 1. Form a flat-O handshape with both hands: bring the fingertips together so they touch the thumb.
• 2. Hold both hands near the sides of your forehead, fingertips pointing forward.
• 3. Move both hands forward a short distance, away from your head. This is TEACH, as if passing knowledge outward.
• 4. Open both hands flat, palms facing each other at about shoulder width.
• 5. Move both hands straight down along the sides of your body. This is the person marker, which turns TEACH into TEACHER.

In conversation, the setting usually makes the meaning clear. If you are talking about a university, a class or a lecture, TEACHER is generally understood to mean your professor.

When to fingerspell instead

Fingerspelling P-R-O-F-E-S-S-O-R with the one-handed ASL manual alphabet is always an option. It helps when you need to separate a professor from a schoolteacher or a tutor, or when you are giving a formal title. When you fingerspell, hold your hand steady at about shoulder height and form each letter clearly rather than quickly.

Limitations and variants

Some ASL signers and communities, particularly at specific colleges or in specific regions, use their own sign for professor. This guide does not describe those variants because no verified sources were available for them. To learn the sign used in your class, campus or community, ask a Deaf signer, an interpreter or your ASL instructor. You can also compare your signing against a video entry in a reputable ASL dictionary. Video shows movement and facial expression in a way that written descriptions cannot.

Checking your signing on a webcam

If you will be signing on a video call, or want to check your form, record yourself or watch your camera preview. Keep three checks separate. First, confirm the browser or operating system has granted camera access. Second, confirm the camera actually shows a live picture. Third, judge whether the picture is clear enough for signing. A camera can pass the first two checks and still fail the third.

• Framing: Include your head, shoulders and the space down to your waist. TEACHER starts at the forehead and the person marker moves down the sides of the body, so a tight face-only crop will cut off part of the sign.
• Lighting: Light your face and hands from the front. A bright window behind you can turn your hands into silhouettes.
• Background: A plain physical background with a solid color that contrasts with your skin tone makes handshapes easier to see. Virtual backgrounds and blur effects can smear or clip fast hand movements, so test with them turned off if your signing looks broken up.
• Motion: Sign at a moderate pace. Webcams and call software can blur quick movements, especially fingerspelling.
• Playback: Watch your recording and compare it with a dictionary video or feedback from a fluent signer. This confirms both the handshapes and the movement.