One of the biggest misconceptions about American Sign Language (ASL) is the idea that it is simply “English on the hands.” It’s an easy assumption to make—especially for beginners—because ASL often uses English words as labels. But make no mistake:
ASL is not English.
It is a fully independent language with its own grammar, structure, and rules.
Let’s break this down.
Most ASL learners begin by seeing English words paired with signs:
Because of this, it looks like ASL is just English translated word-for-word into signs. But those English words are labels, not instructions for how ASL works.
They are used for teaching convenience—not because ASL follows English grammar.
Think of English words in ASL materials like file names on a computer.
The word “BOOK” helps us identify the sign—but it doesn’t tell us:
The real language of ASL lives in:
English words are just placeholders so hearing learners can reference something familiar.
English follows a strict word order:
Subject – Verb – Object
“I am going to the store.”
ASL, on the other hand, is concept-based, not word-based. A common ASL structure might look like:
TIME – TOPIC – COMMENT
“STORE I GO.”
No “am,” no “to,” no “the.”
Those words are necessary in English—but unnecessary (and incorrect) in ASL.
ASL does not rely on many common English words, including:
Trying to sign these often leads to English interference, where ASL becomes awkward, unclear, or unnatural.
In English, meaning often comes from word choice.
In ASL, meaning comes from:
Two signed sentences can use the same signs but mean different things depending on how they are produced.
That’s something English simply doesn’t do.
Even fingerspelling doesn’t turn ASL into English.
When we fingerspell:
We’re borrowing English letters, not English grammar. The sentence is still structured using ASL rules.
ASL is:
It is a natural language that developed within the Deaf community, with its own history, evolution, and cultural norms.
English words help us talk about ASL—but they do not define ASL.
Understanding that ASL is not English helps students:
The goal isn’t to “sign English better.”
The goal is to think in ASL.
ASL may use English words as teaching labels—but ASL does not follow English rules.
Once learners let go of English structure, ASL starts to feel more natural, expressive, and powerful.
And that’s when real learning begins.