Auslan is the sign language of the Australian Deaf community. There is a sign for each letter of the roman alphabet. Using these letters to spell words is called “fingerspelling”.
This page shows two variations of the Auslan alphabet: the standard alphabet using two hands, and the deafblind alphabet which is spelled with one hand onto another person’s palm. There are text descriptions of both of these variations for blind users below, as well as photos and videos for visual learners.
1. Auslan alphabet
Text description of Auslan alphabet
See below for versions of the Auslan alphabet:
Handshapes:
ONE – Make a fist but with pointer finger straight.
ONE HOOK – Make a fist, with pointer finger sticking out curled like a hook.
TWO – Make a fist but with pointer and middle fingers straight and slightly apart.
TWO TOGETHER – Make a fist, with pointer and middle fingers straight and together.
MOTHER – Make a fist but with pointer, middle and ring fingers straight and together.
FIVE – Make a flat hand with fingers and thumb all slightly apart.
FIVE TOGETHER – Make a flat hand with fingers and thumb straight and together.
ZED – Make a flat hand with fingers and thumb straight and together, bend hand over at the base of the fingers keeping the fingers straight.
OK – Make a flat hand with fingers and thumb spread apart, curl pointer and thumb forward until they touch tips to make a circle shape.
BAD – Make a fist but with pinky finger straight.
OPEN CIRCLE – Curl pointer and thumb a little to make an open circle, with other fingers curled tight in a fist.
Auslan Alphabet – left-handed
*A
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to right thumb-pad.
*B
Both hands OK handshape with palms facing each other, touch both hands pointer and thumb tips together.
*C
Left hand OPEN CIRCLE handshape with palm facing to the right.
*D
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand OPEN CIRCLE handshape with palm facing to the right, place left pointer to tip of right pointer and left thumb tip to base of right pointer.
*E
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to right pointer fingertip.
*F
Both hands TWO TOGETHER handshape palms facing down, cross left fingers over the back of right fingers.
*G
Both hands make a fist with palms facing back, touch pinky end of left fist onto thumb end of right fist.
*H
Both hands FIVE TOGETHER handshape with right palm facing up and left palm facing down. Wipe left hand forward over right hand.
*I
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to right middle fingertip.
*J
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, sweep pointer fingertip down right middle finger and up right thumb.
*K
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing down, touch back of knuckle to the middle of right pointer.
*L
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer finger flat onto right palm.
*M
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Left hand MOTHER handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer, middle and ring fingers flat onto right palm.
*N
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Left hand TWO TOGETHER handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer and middle fingers flat onto right palm.
*O
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to right ring fingertip.
*P
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand OK handshape with palm facing to the right, touch pointer and thumb tip to right pointer fingertip.
*Q
Right hand OK handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing forward, hook pointer forward onto right thumb.
*R
Right FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Left hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing back, lie side of curved pointer flat onto right palm.
*S
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand BAD handshape with palm facing down, touch left pinky tip to right pinky tip.
*T
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing down, touch pointer fingertip to base of right palm.
*U
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to right pinky fingertip.
*V
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Left hand TWO handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer and middle fingers flat onto right palm.
*W
Both hands FIVE handshape with palms facing each other, slide left fingers between right fingers.
*X
Both hands ONE handshape with palms facing down, cross left pointer over the back of right pointer.
*Y
Right hand FIVE handshape with palm facing forward.
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, lie pointer flat onto the back of the right hand webbing between thumb and pointer.
*Z
Right hand FIVE TOGETHER handshape with palm facing to the left.
Left hand ZED handshape with palm facing to the right, touch fingertips to middle of right palm.
Auslan Alphabet – right-handed
*A
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to left thumb-pad.
*B
Both hands OK handshape with palms facing each other, touch both hands pointer and thumb tips together.
*C
Right hand OPEN CIRCLE handshape with palm facing to the left.
*D
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand OPEN CIRCLE handshape with palm facing to the left, place right pointer to tip of left pointer and right thumb tip to base of left pointer.
*E
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to left pointer fingertip.
*F
Both hands TWO TOGETHER handshape palms facing down, cross right fingers over the back of left fingers.
*G
Both hands make a fist with palms facing back, touch pinky end of right fist onto thumb end of left fist.
*H
Both hands FIVE TOGETHER handshape with left palm facing up and right palm facing down. Wipe right hand forward over left hand.
*I
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to left middle fingertip.
*J
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, sweep pointer fingertip down left middle finger and up left thumb.
*K
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing down, touch back of knuckle to the middle of left pointer.
*L
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer finger flat onto left palm.
*M
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Right hand MOTHER handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer, middle and ring fingers flat onto left palm.
*N
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Right hand TWO TOGETHER handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer and middle fingers flat onto left palm.
*O
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to left ring fingertip.
*P
Left hand ONE handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand OK handshape with palm facing to the left, touch pointer and thumb tip to left pointer fingertip.
*Q
Left hand OK handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing forward, hook pointer forward onto left thumb.
*R
Left FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Right hand ONE HOOK handshape with palm facing back, lie side of curved pointer flat onto left palm.
*S
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand BAD handshape with palm facing down, touch right pinky tip to left pinky tip.
*T
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing down, touch pointer fingertip to base of left palm.
*U
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing back.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, touch pointer to left pinky fingertip.
*V
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing up.
Right hand TWO handshape with palm facing down, lie pointer and middle fingers flat onto left palm.
*W
Both hands FIVE handshape with palms facing each other, slide right fingers between left fingers.
*X
Both hands ONE handshape with palms facing down, cross right pointer over the back of left pointer.
*Y
Left hand FIVE handshape with palm facing forward.
Right hand ONE handshape with palm facing forward, lie pointer flat onto the back of the left hand webbing between thumb and pointer.
*Z
Left hand FIVE TOGETHER handshape with palm facing to the right.
Right hand ZED handshape with palm facing to the left, touch fingertips to middle of left palm.
2. Auslan alphabet – deafblind fingerspelling
Text description of deafblind fingerspelling
Words may be spelt out onto a Deafblind person’s palm and fingers using a modified version of the Auslan alphabet.
The Deafblind person (the receiver) will need to hold out their hand, palm facing up, with fingers and thumb held straight and slightly apart.
The person signing and spelling out words (the signer) should support the Deafblind person’s hand – ideally, they are both sitting at a table so they can rest their elbows and forearms on the tabletop.
Unless otherwise stated, the signer uses their pointer to touch the receiver’s hand. All touches and pinches are to be done gently, without excess pressure.
*A
Signer touch receiver’s thumb tip.
*B
Signer pinch all fingers and thumb tips together, touch tips on receiver’s palm.
*C
Signer wipe fingertip down the inside of the receiver’s thumb and up pointer in a sweeping motion.
*D
Signer touch their pointer to the tip of receiver’s pointer, and their thumb tip to the base of the receiver’s pointer, at the same time.
*E
Signer touch receiver’s pointer fingertip.
*F
Signer place the length of their pointer and middle fingers together across the middle of the receiver’s pointer and middle fingers.
*G
Signer make a fist and touch pinky end of fist on receiver’s palm.
*H
Signer wipe flat hand forward over receiver’s hand from palm to fingertips.
*I
Signer touch receiver’s middle fingertip.
*J
Signer wipe fingertip down receiver’s middle finger and up left thumb.
*K
Signer bend their pointer and touch the back of the middle joint on the middle joint of the receiver’s pointer.
*L
Signer lie pointer finger flat on receiver’s palm.
*M
Signer lie pointer, middle and ring fingers together flat on receiver’s palm.
*N
Signer lie pointer and middle fingers together flat on receiver’s palm.
*O
Signer touch receiver’s ring fingertip.
*P
Signer gently pinch the front and back of the tip of receiver’s pointer finger.
*Q
Signer wrap pointer around the base of the receiver’s thumb.
*R
Signer lie the side of hooked pointer flat on receiver’s palm.
*S
Signer wrap pointer finger around receiver’s pinky.
*T
Signer tap fingertip on receiver’s palm.
*U
Signer touch receiver’s pinky fingertip.
*V
Signer lie pointer and middle fingers apart flat on receiver’s palm.
*W
Signer clasp receiver’s hand, palm to palm, wrapping their fingers over between receiver’s thumb and pointer.
*X
Signer touch side of pointer on side of receiver’s pointer towards the middle.
*Y
Signer wipe fingertip from receiver’s webbing between thumb and pointer, down onto palm.
*Z
Signer touch all four fingertips in a straight line to middle of receiver’s palm.