SignWriting

System of writing sign languages

For the signage profession, see Signwriter.

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SignWriting

Script type|

Iconic featural script

Period

| 1974–present
Direction| Horizontal (left-to-right) or vertical (top-to-bottom)
Languages| American Sign Language, Danish Sign Language and other sign languages
ISO 15924
ISO 15924| Sgnw (095), ​SignWriting
Unicode

Unicode alias

| SignWriting

Unicode range

| U+1D800–U+1DAAF

Website SignWriting.org

Mobile m.SignWriting.org

Sutton SignWriting, or simply SignWriting, is a writing system for sign languages. It can be used to write any sign language, including American Sign Language, Brazilian Sign Language, Tunisian Sign Language, and many others.[1]

SignWriting is the only international writing system for sign languages.[2] It has been used to publish young adult fiction,[3] translate the Bible,[4] caption YouTube videos,[5] and study sign language literacy.[6]

This article contains symbols from the SignWriting Script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of SignWriting symbols.

The SignWriting system is visually iconic: its symbols depict the hands, face, and body of a signer. And unlike most writing systems, which are written linearly, the symbols of SignWriting are written two-dimensionally, to represent the signing space.[7]

SignWriting was invented in 1974 by Valerie Sutton, a ballet dancer who eight years earlier had developed a dance notation named Sutton DanceWriting.[8] The current standardized form of SignWriting is known as the International Sign Writing Alphabet (ISWA).[9]

## History

[edit]

Sutton originally created SignWriting in Denmark in the fall of 1974, at the request of professor Lars von der Lieth and others on his research team in the Audiology Research Group at the University of Copenhagen.[10]

Sutton was asked to work on a research project, transcribing the gestures made by Danish hearing and Deaf people while they speak or sign. The project, part of a dissertation by Jan Enggaard Pedersen, showed that Danish Sign Language was a rich language, while the gestures of hearing people were unconnected with language.[11]

Sutton's experience transcribing Danish sign language inspired her to work with Deaf people worldwide, helping them to write their own sign languages. She named the new writing system “SignWriting”.[12]

SignWriting has since been used to write the sign languages of 40 countries.[1] However, it is not clear how widespread its use is in each country.

Between 1986 and 1994 Sutton worked with a software developer to create SignWriter, a word processor for SignWriting which runs on MS-DOS computers. SignWriter included an integrated sign dictionary, and support for multiple languages and countries.[13]

In 1996, Antonio Carlos da Rocha Costa, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), discovered SignWriter and introduced it to his colleagues, beginning Brazil's institutional use of SignWriting.[14]

In 2001, SignWriting was used in a Brazilian Sign Language dictionary containing more than 9,500 signs, which was published by the University of São Paulo.[15][16]

SignWriting displayed on the wall of a Deaf school in Brazil.

In 2005, the Brazilian government issued Federal Decree 5626, which specified that Brazilian Sign Language be taught in universities and public schools, so it could serve as the primary language of instruction for Deaf students.[17]

SignWriting is used to teach Brazilian Sign Language in 18 Federal Universities and 12 public schools in Brazil.[18] In Germany, it is taught to deaf adults to improve their ability to read and write spoken German.[19] There is also a German website dedicated to SignWriting.[20]

## Symbols

[edit]

SignWriting represents the positions and movements of your body. Because of this, the SignWriting symbols can be used to write any sign language, or even non-linguistic gestures.[21]

SignWriting has 652 symbols, which are grouped into seven symbol classes: hands; movement; dynamics; head and faces; body; punctuation; and detailed location.[22][9]

SignWriting includes so many symbols because it is designed to work with all sign languages, not just a single language. For instance, SignWriting has 261 hand symbols, but American Sign Language uses only 83 of them.[23][24]

SignWriting has ten basic hand symbols, with all the remaining hand symbols being variations on the basic symbols.[25]

The hand and movement symbols can be modified to show additional information:[25]

* Hand symbols can be filled in to show which direction the palm of the hand is facing.
* Movement symbol arrowheads can be filled in to show which hand is performing the movement.

For more information on the SignWriting symbols, see the standard SignWriting textbooks.

## Signs

[edit]

In SignWriting a sign is a group of symbols, arranged two-dimensionally to represent the gestures made by a person signing the sign.[25]

SignWriting has a number of rules for writing the symbols in a sign. These rules ensure that common patterns of gestures get written consistently across signs.[25]

Sign box

Each written sign exists in a sign box, which is an invisible box just large enough to contain all the symbols in the sign. Just as a word consists of a line of letters, a sign consists of a box of symbols.[1]

The size of a sign box is variable, and depends on the size and placement of the symbols in the box. This size can change when symbols are added to, deleted from, or moved within a sign.[1]

Sign boxes are used by SignWriting software to align the signs that appear in a line of SignWriting text.[1]

## Writing direction

[edit]

SignWriting text written vertically in columns

While SignWriting symbols are written two-dimensionally within each sign, the signs themselves are written in lines, either horizontally across the page in rows, or vertically down the page in columns.[1]

SignWriting text was originally written only horizontally. But after Deaf users reported that it felt more natural to write signs down the page, SignWriting was changed to conventionally write signs vertically.[21]

This change yielded two benefits. First, the midline used to align vertically-written signs mimics the center line of the depicted signer's body, making the signs easier to read. Second, writing signs vertically simplifies the representation of body-shifting in sign language.[21]

## Sequencing of signs in dictionaries

[edit]

Sutton orders signs in ten groups based on which fingers are extended on the dominant hand. These are equivalent to the numerals one through ten in ASL. Each group is then subdivided according to the actual hand shape, and then subdivided again according to the plane the hand is in (vertical, then horizontal), then again according to the basic orientation of the hand (palm, side, back). An ordering system has been proposed using this beginning and examples from both American Sign Language and Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS).[26] The current system of ordering for SignWriting is called the Sign Symbol Sequence which is parsed by the creator of each sign as recorded into the on-line dictionary. This system allows for internal ordering by features including handshape, orientation, speed, location, and other clustered features not found in spoken dictionaries.

## Advantages and disadvantages

[edit]

Some of the advantages of SignWriting, compared to other writing systems for sign languages, are:

* Its iconicity makes it easy to learn to read, in particular the iconicity that results from layout in two dimensions instead of just one.
* It has detailed mechanisms for representing facial expression and other non-manuals.
* It has been adapted for use with many different sign languages.

However, it has a few disadvantages as well:

* The sheer size of its symbol set and the fine details which can be written create a challenge in learning how to write. It also means that the written form is largely situational and inventive; different people may write the same sign different ways, and a single person may alternate between transcriptions.
* The two-dimensional spatial layout of SignWriting symbols within each sign, although it is more iconic than a linear layout, comes at a cost. SignWriting currently requires special software; SignWriting cannot be used as ordinary text within normal word processors or other application software. As a work-around, software (SignMaker and Rand Keyboard) is available on the SignWriting website which allows a sign, once assembled with special SignWriting software, to be copied easily as a graphic image into word processing or desktop publishing software.

SignPuddle is a plain-text (ASCII) string representation of signs. It can be stored as plain text anywhere and be replaced by signs with special programs such as the SignWriting Icon Server.[27] An RFC standard draft for it has been proposed,[1] which later evolved into a stricter draft standard known as "Formal Signwriting" (FSW). It can also use Unicode characters instead of ASCII escapes.[28] There is also an experimental TrueType font that uses the SIL Graphite technology to automatically turn these sequences into signs.[27]

## Unicode

[edit]

Main article: Sutton SignWriting (Unicode block)

SignWriting is the first writing system for sign languages to be included in the Unicode Standard. 672 characters were added in the Sutton SignWriting (Unicode block) of Unicode version 8.0 released in June 2015. This set of characters is based on SignWriting's standardized symbol set[29] and defined character encoding model.[30][31]

The Unicode Standard only covers the symbol set. It does not address layout, the positioning of the symbols in two dimensions. Historically, software has recorded position using Cartesian (x–y) coordinates for each symbol.[32] Since Unicode focuses on symbols that make sense in a one-dimensional plain-text context, the number characters required for two-dimensional placement were not included in the Unicode proposal.[31]

The Unicode block for Sutton SignWriting is U+1D800–U+1DAAF:

Sutton SignWriting[a][b][c] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF)    | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F

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U+1D80x  | 𝠀  | 𝠁  | 𝠂  | 𝠃  | 𝠄  | 𝠅  | 𝠆  | 𝠇  | 𝠈  | 𝠉  | 𝠊  | 𝠋  | 𝠌  | 𝠍  | 𝠎  | 𝠏
U+1D81x  | 𝠐  | 𝠑  | 𝠒  | 𝠓  | 𝠔  | 𝠕  | 𝠖  | 𝠗  | 𝠘  | 𝠙  | 𝠚  | 𝠛  | 𝠜  | 𝠝  | 𝠞  | 𝠟
U+1D82x  | 𝠠  | 𝠡  | 𝠢  | 𝠣  | 𝠤  | 𝠥  | 𝠦  | 𝠧  | 𝠨  | 𝠩  | 𝠪  | 𝠫  | 𝠬  | 𝠭  | 𝠮  | 𝠯
U+1D83x  | 𝠰  | 𝠱  | 𝠲  | 𝠳  | 𝠴  | 𝠵  | 𝠶  | 𝠷  | 𝠸  | 𝠹  | 𝠺  | 𝠻  | 𝠼  | 𝠽  | 𝠾  | 𝠿
U+1D84x  | 𝡀  | 𝡁  | 𝡂  | 𝡃  | 𝡄  | 𝡅  | 𝡆  | 𝡇  | 𝡈  | 𝡉  | 𝡊  | 𝡋  | 𝡌  | 𝡍𝪛  | 𝡎  | 𝡏𝪛
U+1D85x  | 𝡐  | 𝡑𝪛  | 𝡒  | 𝡓  | 𝡔  | 𝡕  | 𝡖  | 𝡗  | 𝡘  | 𝡙  | 𝡚  | 𝡛  | 𝡜𝪛  | 𝡝  | 𝡞𝪛  | 𝡟
U+1D86x  | 𝡠  | 𝡡  | 𝡢  | 𝡣  | 𝡤  | 𝡥  | 𝡦  | 𝡧  | 𝡨  | 𝡩  | 𝡪  | 𝡫  | 𝡬  | 𝡭  | 𝡮  | 𝡯
U+1D87x  | 𝡰  | 𝡱  | 𝡲  | 𝡳  | 𝡴  | 𝡵  | 𝡶  | 𝡷  | 𝡸  | 𝡹  | 𝡺  | 𝡻  | 𝡼  | 𝡽  | 𝡾  | 𝡿
U+1D88x  | 𝢀  | 𝢁  | 𝢂  | 𝢃  | 𝢄  | 𝢅  | 𝢆  | 𝢇  | 𝢈  | 𝢉  | 𝢊  | 𝢋  | 𝢌  | 𝢍  | 𝢎  | 𝢏
U+1D89x  | 𝢐  | 𝢑  | 𝢒  | 𝢓  | 𝢔  | 𝢕  | 𝢖  | 𝢗  | 𝢘  | 𝢙  | 𝢚  | 𝢛  | 𝢜  | 𝢝  | 𝢞  | 𝢟
U+1D8Ax  | 𝢠  | 𝢡  | 𝢢  | 𝢣  | 𝢤  | 𝢥  | 𝢦  | 𝢧  | 𝢨  | 𝢩  | 𝢪  | 𝢫  | 𝢬  | 𝢭  | 𝢮  | 𝢯
U+1D8Bx  | 𝢰  | 𝢱  | 𝢲  | 𝢳  | 𝢴  | 𝢵  | 𝢶  | 𝢷  | 𝢸  | 𝢹  | 𝢺  | 𝢻  | 𝢼  | 𝢽  | 𝢾  | 𝢿
U+1D8Cx  | 𝣀  | 𝣁  | 𝣂  | 𝣃  | 𝣄  | 𝣅  | 𝣆  | 𝣇  | 𝣈  | 𝣉  | 𝣊  | 𝣋  | 𝣌  | 𝣍  | 𝣎  | 𝣏
U+1D8Dx  | 𝣐  | 𝣑  | 𝣒  | 𝣓  | 𝣔  | 𝣕  | 𝣖  | 𝣗  | 𝣘  | 𝣙  | 𝣚  | 𝣛  | 𝣜  | 𝣝  | 𝣞  | 𝣟
U+1D8Ex  | 𝣠  | 𝣡  | 𝣢  | 𝣣  | 𝣤  | 𝣥  | 𝣦  | 𝣧  | 𝣨  | 𝣩  | 𝣪  | 𝣫  | 𝣬  | 𝣭  | 𝣮  | 𝣯
U+1D8Fx  | 𝣰  | 𝣱  | 𝣲  | 𝣳  | 𝣴  | 𝣵  | 𝣶𝪛  | 𝣷  | 𝣸  | 𝣹  | 𝣺  | 𝣻  | 𝣼  | 𝣽  | 𝣾  | 𝣿
U+1D90x  | 𝤀  | 𝤁  | 𝤂  | 𝤃  | 𝤄𝪛  | 𝤅  | 𝤆  | 𝤇  | 𝤈  | 𝤉  | 𝤊  | 𝤋  | 𝤌  | 𝤍  | 𝤎  | 𝤏
U+1D91x  | 𝤐  | 𝤑  | 𝤒  | 𝤓  | 𝤔  | 𝤕  | 𝤖  | 𝤗  | 𝤘  | 𝤙  | 𝤚  | 𝤛  | 𝤜  | 𝤝  | 𝤞  | 𝤟
U+1D92x  | 𝤠  | 𝤡  | 𝤢  | 𝤣  | 𝤤  | 𝤥  | 𝤦  | 𝤧  | 𝤨  | 𝤩  | 𝤪  | 𝤫  | 𝤬  | 𝤭  | 𝤮  | 𝤯
U+1D93x  | 𝤰  | 𝤱  | 𝤲  | 𝤳  | 𝤴  | 𝤵  | 𝤶  | 𝤷  | 𝤸  | 𝤹  | 𝤺  | 𝤻  | 𝤼  | 𝤽  | 𝤾  | 𝤿
U+1D94x  | 𝥀  | 𝥁  | 𝥂  | 𝥃  | 𝥄  | 𝥅  | 𝥆  | 𝥇  | 𝥈  | 𝥉  | 𝥊  | 𝥋  | 𝥌  | 𝥍  | 𝥎  | 𝥏
U+1D95x  | 𝥐  | 𝥑  | 𝥒  | 𝥓  | 𝥔  | 𝥕  | 𝥖  | 𝥗  | 𝥘  | 𝥙  | 𝥚  | 𝥛  | 𝥜  | 𝥝  | 𝥞  | 𝥟
U+1D96x  | 𝥠  | 𝥡  | 𝥢  | 𝥣  | 𝥤  | 𝥥  | 𝥦  | 𝥧  | 𝥨  | 𝥩  | 𝥪  | 𝥫  | 𝥬  | 𝥭  | 𝥮  | 𝥯
U+1D97x  | 𝥰  | 𝥱  | 𝥲  | 𝥳  | 𝥴  | 𝥵  | 𝥶  | 𝥷  | 𝥸  | 𝥹  | 𝥺  | 𝥻  | 𝥼  | 𝥽  | 𝥾  | 𝥿
U+1D98x  | 𝦀  | 𝦁  | 𝦂  | 𝦃  | 𝦄  | 𝦅  | 𝦆  | 𝦇  | 𝦈  | 𝦉  | 𝦊  | 𝦋  | 𝦌  | 𝦍  | 𝦎  | 𝦏
U+1D99x  | 𝦐  | 𝦑  | 𝦒  | 𝦓  | 𝦔  | 𝦕  | 𝦖  | 𝦗  | 𝦘  | 𝦙  | 𝦚  | 𝦛  | 𝦜  | 𝦝  | 𝦞  | 𝦟
U+1D9Ax  | 𝦠  | 𝦡  | 𝦢  | 𝦣  | 𝦤  | 𝦥  | 𝦦  | 𝦧  | 𝦨  | 𝦩  | 𝦪  | 𝦫  | 𝦬  | 𝦭  | 𝦮  | 𝦯
U+1D9Bx  | 𝦰  | 𝦱  | 𝦲  | 𝦳  | 𝦴  | 𝦵  | 𝦶  | 𝦷  | 𝦸  | 𝦹  | 𝦺  | 𝦻  | 𝦼  | 𝦽  | 𝦾  | 𝦿
U+1D9Cx  | 𝧀  | 𝧁  | 𝧂  | 𝧃  | 𝧄  | 𝧅  | 𝧆  | 𝧇  | 𝧈  | 𝧉  | 𝧊  | 𝧋  | 𝧌  | 𝧍  | 𝧎  | 𝧏
U+1D9Dx  | 𝧐  | 𝧑  | 𝧒  | 𝧓  | 𝧔  | 𝧕  | 𝧖  | 𝧗  | 𝧘  | 𝧙  | 𝧚  | 𝧛  | 𝧜  | 𝧝  | 𝧞  | 𝧟
U+1D9Ex  | 𝧠  | 𝧡  | 𝧢  | 𝧣  | 𝧤  | 𝧥  | 𝧦  | 𝧧  | 𝧨  | 𝧩  | 𝧪  | 𝧫  | 𝧬  | 𝧭  | 𝧮  | 𝧯
U+1D9Fx  | 𝧰  | 𝧱  | 𝧲  | 𝧳  | 𝧴  | 𝧵  | 𝧶  | 𝧷  | 𝧸  | 𝧹  | 𝧺  | 𝧻  | 𝧼  | 𝧽  | 𝧾  | 𝧿
U+1DA0x  | 𝨀  | 𝨁  | 𝨂  | 𝨃  | 𝨄  | 𝨅  | 𝨆  | 𝨇  | 𝨈  | 𝨉  | 𝨊  | 𝨋  | 𝨌  | 𝨍  | 𝨎  | 𝨏
U+1DA1x  | 𝨐  | 𝨑  | 𝨒  | 𝨓  | 𝨔  | 𝨕  | 𝨖  | 𝨗  | 𝨘  | 𝨙  | 𝨚  | 𝨛  | 𝨜  | 𝨝  | 𝨞  | 𝨟
U+1DA2x  | 𝨠  | 𝨡  | 𝨢  | 𝨣  | 𝨤  | 𝨥  | 𝨦  | 𝨧  | 𝨨  | 𝨩  | 𝨪  | 𝨫  | 𝨬  | 𝨭  | 𝨮  | 𝨯
U+1DA3x  | 𝨰  | 𝨱  | 𝨲  | 𝨳  | 𝨴  | 𝨵  | 𝨶  | 𝨷  | 𝨸  | 𝨹  | 𝨺  | 𝨻  | 𝨼  | 𝨽  | 𝨾  | 𝨿
U+1DA4x  | 𝩀  | 𝩁  | 𝩂  | 𝩃  | 𝩄  | 𝩅  | 𝩆  | 𝩇  | 𝩈  | 𝩉  | 𝩊  | 𝩋  | 𝩌  | 𝩍  | 𝩎  | 𝩏
U+1DA5x  | 𝩐  | 𝩑  | 𝩒  | 𝩓  | 𝩔  | 𝩕  | 𝩖  | 𝩗  | 𝩘  | 𝩙  | 𝩚  | 𝩛  | 𝩜  | 𝩝  | 𝩞  | 𝩟
U+1DA6x  | 𝩠  | 𝩡  | 𝩢  | 𝩣  | 𝩤  | 𝩥  | 𝩦  | 𝩧  | 𝩨  | 𝩩  | 𝩪  | 𝩫  | 𝩬  | 𝩭  | 𝩮  | 𝩯
U+1DA7x  | 𝩰  | 𝩱  | 𝩲  | 𝩳  | 𝩴  | 𝩵  | 𝩶  | 𝩷  | 𝩸  | 𝩹  | 𝩺  | 𝩻  | 𝩼  | 𝩽  | 𝩾  | 𝩿
U+1DA8x  | 𝪀  | 𝪁  | 𝪂  | 𝪃  | 𝪄  | 𝪅  | 𝪆  | 𝪇  | 𝪈  | 𝪉  | 𝪊  | 𝪋  |  |  |  |
U+1DA9x  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  SW
F2 |  SW
F3 |  SW
F4 |  SW
F5 |  SW

U+1DAAx  |  |  SW
R2 |  SW
R3 |  SW
R4 |  SW
R5 |  SW
R6 |  SW
R7 |  SW
R8 |  SW
R9 |  SW
R10 |  SW
R11 |  SW
R12 |  SW
R13 |  SW
R14 |  SW
R15 |  SW
R16
Notes

a.^ As of Unicode version 16.0
b.^ Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points
c.^ U+1D84D, U+1D84F, U+1D851, U+1D85C, U+1D85E, U+1D8F6, U+1D904 shown with modifier U+1DA9B SW-F2

Current software records each sign as a string of characters in either ASCII or Unicode. Older software may use XML or a custom binary format to represent a sign. Formal SignWriting uses ASCII characters to define the two-dimensional layout within a sign and other simple structures.[33] It would be possible to fully define a sign in Unicode with seventeen additional characters.[34] With either character set (Unicode or ASCII), the spelling of a sign produces a word that the can be efficiently processed with regular expressions. These sets are isomorphic.

## Accessibility

[edit]

Sutton has released the International SignWriting Alphabet 2010[35] under the SIL Open Font License. The symbols of the ISWA 2010 are available as individual SVG or as TrueType Fonts.

Google has released an open type font called Noto Sans SignWriting[36][37] that supports the SignWriting in Unicode 8 (uni8) specification with modifying characters and facial diacritics.

SignWriting is enabled on Wikimedia Incubator. Test wikis include the ASL Wikipedia on Incubator and the other test wikis of sign languages.

The Sutton SignWriting SignMaker is a sign editor that can be accessed directly, embedded in an iframe, and downloaded. It uses both Formal SignWriting in ASCII (FSW) and SignWriting in Unicode (SWU) character sets, along with the associated style string.

For modern web and app development, several packages are available on GitHub and NPM.

For sign language translation, SignWriting text is a useful abstraction layer between video and the natural language processing of sign language.[38] The usefulness of SignWriting in natural language processing was validated with a new method of machine translation that has achieved over 30 BLEU.[39][40] The conversion of sign language video to SignWriting text is an emerging field with open source options.[41]

Additional machine learning projects are available for handwriting recognition of SignWriting, SignWriting to spoken language, and spoken language to SignWriting.[42]

## See also

[edit]

* Other writing systems for sign languages, including:
* ASL-phabet, a minimal script for ASL
* Hamburg Notation System (HamNoSys), a phonetic transcription system for sign languages developed by linguists in Europe
* Si5s, a handwritten script for ASL
* Stokoe notation, a script devised by a pioneer of sign-language linguistics originally for ASL, which has been adapted for other sign languages
* International Movement Writing Alphabet (IMWA)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Slevinski, Stephen (9 May 2016). "The SignPuddle Standard for SignWriting Text". tools.ietf.org. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
2. ^ Kato, Mihoko (2008). "A Study of Notation and Sign Writing Systems for the Deaf". Intercultural Communication Studies. 17 (4): 97–114 – via Scilight.
3. ^ Almeida, Rubens Ramos de (2023). Telasco e sua turma em: A Lenda Da Manguda - Recontada em libras (linguagem de escrita Sutton Signwriting) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Viegas Editora (published November 9, 2023).
4. ^ Romero, Nancy. "ASL GOSPEL: Gospels and Selected Scriptures Written in American Sign Language (ASL)". ASL Gospel. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
5. ^ Brito, Ronnie Fagundes de (June 6, 2012). "Previsão do tempo com SW Signwriting". YouTube. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
6. ^ Stumpf, Marianne Rossi (2005). The learning process of sign language writing through the SignWriting system: sign languages on paper and in the computer (PhD thesis). Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
7. ^ Sutton, Valerie (2022). Read and Write Sign Language with SignWriting (2nd ed.). Valerie Sutton. ISBN 978-0-940361-03-4.
8. ^ Sutton, Valerie (January 1999). "SignWriting: On the occasion of its 25th anniversary". Sign Language & Linguistics. 2 (2): 271–282 – via John Benjamins e-Platform.
9. ^ a b Slevinski, Stephen (2012). "ISWA 2010 HTML Reference". ISWA 2010. Archived from the original on May 3, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
10. ^ Sutton, Valerie (July 3, 2024). "SIGNWRITING HISTORY: Video 2. SignWriting in the 1970s?". YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
11. ^ Pedersen, Jan Enggaard (1978). Hearing Danes' Gesture-Repertoire (PhD thesis). University of Copenhagen.
12. ^ "History of SignWriting". Deutschsprachige Wikipedia (German Wikipedia). Retrieved July 16, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
13. ^ Gleaves, Richard; Sutton, Valerie (2004). "SignWriter". Proceedings of the LREC2004 Workshop on the Representation and Processing of Sign Languages: From SignWriting to Image Processing. Information techniques and their implications for teaching, documentation and communication. ELRA. pp. 7–12\. ISBN 978-2-9517408-1-5.
14. ^ Quadros, Ronice Müller de (1999). "Um capítulo da história do SignWriting" (PDF). Instituto Federal Santa Catarina. Retrieved June 28, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. ^ Capovilla, F.C.; Raphael, W. D., eds. (2001). Dicionário encicopédico ilustrado trilingüe da Língua de Sinais Brasileira: Vol. 1. Sinais de A a L. Edusp, FAPESP, Fundação Vitae, Feneis, Brasil Telecom. ISBN 85-314-0600-5.
16. ^ Capovilla, F.C.; Raphael, W. D., eds. (2001). Dicionário encicopédico ilustrado trilingüe da Língua de Sinais Brasileira: Vol. 2. Sinais de M a Z. Edusp, FAPESP, Fundação Vitae, Feneis, Brasil Telecom. ISBN 85-314-0603-X.
17. ^ Quadros, Ronice Müller de (2012). "Linguistic Policies, Linguistic Planning, and Brazilian Sign Language in Brazil". Sign Language Studies. 12 (4): 543–564 – via Project Muse.
18. ^ Barbosa, Gabriela Otaviani (2017). A arte de escrever em libras (Master's thesis). Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
19. ^ "delegs – "Learn German with GebärdenScript". delegs. Retrieved July 5, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. ^ Woehrmann, Stefan. "Hallo, herzlich willkommen bei GebärdenSchrift in Deutschland". Retrieved July 5, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
21. ^ a b c Thiessen, Stuart M. (2011). A Grammar of SignWriting (Master's thesis). University of North Dakota. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
22. ^ "Sutton SignWriting" (PDF). unicode.org. 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
23. ^ Sutton, Valerie; Frost, Adam (2014). SignWriting Hand Symbols (PDF). SignWriting Press. ISBN 978-0-914336-86-0.
24. ^ Sutton, Valerie; Frost, Adam (2013). American Sign Language Hand Symbols (PDF). SignWriting Press. ISBN 978-0-914336-82-2.
25. ^ a b c d Sutton, Valerie (2022). Lessons in SignWriting (5th ed.). SignWriting Press. ISBN 978-0-940361-00-3.
26. ^ Butler, Charles (August 2001). "An Ordering System for SignWriting" (PDF). The SignWriting Journal (1). Retrieved 26 July 2012.
27. ^ a b "SignWriting Icon Server". wmflabs. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
28. ^ Slevinski, Stephen. "Formal SignWriting". tools.ietf.org. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
29. ^ "ISWA 2010". Signbank.org. 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
30. ^ "Formal SignWriting". IETF. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
31. ^ a b Everson, Michael; Slevinski, Stephen; Sutton, Valerie. "Proposal for encoding Sutton SignWriting in the UCS" (PDF). Retrieved 1 April 2013.
32. ^ Jr, Stephen E. Slevinski (9 May 2013). "The SignPuddle Standard for SignWriting Text".
33. ^ Jr, Stephen E. Slevinski (20 July 2017). "Formal SignWriting section 2.1.6".
34. ^ Slevinski, Stephen E. Jr (2017-07-12). "L2/17-220: Design Options for Sutton SignWriting with examples and fonts" (PDF).
35. ^ Valerie Sutton. "Sutton's SymbolBank: International SignWriting Alphabet (ISWA 2010)". Movementwriting.org. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
36. ^ "Noto Sans SignWriting". Google Fonts.
37. ^ "Noto Sans SignWriting". ScriptSource.
38. ^ Kayo Yin; Amit Moryossef; Julie Hochgesang; Yoav Goldberg; Malihe Alikhani (2021). "Including Signed Languages in Natural Language Processing". arXiv:2105.05222 [cs.CL].
39. ^ Zifan Jiang; Amit Moryossef; Mathias Müller; Sarah Ebling (2022). "Machine Translation between Spoken Languages and Signed Languages Represented in SignWriting". arXiv:2210.05404 [cs.CL].
40. ^ Zifan Jiang. "Machine Translation between Spoken Languages and Signed Languages in Written Form" (PDF).
41. ^ Amit Moryossef. "Sign Language Processing".
42. ^ Steve Slevinski. "Sutton SignWriting Machine Learning".

## Relevant literature

[edit]

* Hoffmann-Dilloway, Erika. 2017. Feeling your own (or someone else's) face: Writing signs from the expressive viewpoint. Language & Communication.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to SignWriting.

* Official website for Sutton SignWriting
* ISWA 2010 HTML Reference
* ISWA 2010 Font Reference
* Modern SignWriting Specifications
* SignWriting Image Server
* Noto SignWriting
* SignWriting MediaWiki Plugin
* Handwritten forms of SignWriting
* SignPuddle Online – Dictionaries and documents
* Dictionary of the Flemish Sign Language (uses SignWriting)
* The King James Bible in SignWriting

* v
* t
* e

Types of writing systems

| Overview|

* History of writing
* Grapheme

|

Lists|

* Writing systems
* undeciphered
* inventors
* constructed
* Languages by writing system / by first written accounts

Types

Abjads

* Numerals

* Aramaic
* Hatran
* Arabic
* Elifba
* Egyptian hieroglyphs
* Elymaic
* Hebrew
* Ashuri
* Cursive
* Rashi
* Solitreo
* Tifinagh
* Mandaic
* Manichaean
* Nabataean
* Ancient North Arabian
* Pahlavi
* Book
* Inscriptional
* Inscriptional Parthian
* Psalter
* Pegon
* Phoenician
* Paleo-Hebrew
* Pitman shorthand
* Proto-Sinaitic
* Punic
* Samaritan
* South Arabian
* Zabur
* Musnad
* Sogdian
* Syriac
* ʾEsṭrangēlā
* Serṭā
* Maḏnḥāyā
* Teeline Shorthand
* Ugaritic

Abugidas

| Brahmic|

| Northern|

* Bengali–Assamese
* Bhaiksuki
* Brahmi script
* Devanagari
* Dogri
* Gujarati
* Gupta
* Gurmukhi
* Kaithi
* Kalinga
* Khema
* Khojki
* Khudabadi
* Laṇḍā
* Lepcha
* Mahajani
* Marchen
* Meitei
* Modi
* Multani
* Nagari
* Nandinagari
* Nepalese scripts
* Bhujimol
* Golmol
* Himmol
* Kummol
* Kvemmol
* Pachumol
* Pracalit
* Ranjana
* Tamyig
* Tirhuta
* Limbu
* Litumol
* Odia
* Karani
* ʼPhags-pa
* Sharada
* Siddhaṃ
* Soyombo
* Sylheti Nagri
* Takri
* Tibetan
* Uchen
* Umê
* Tocharian
* Zanabazar square

|

Southern|

* Ahom
* Balinese
* Batak
* Baybayin
* Bhattiprolu
* Buda
* Buhid
* Chakma
* Cham
* Fakkham
* Grantha
* Goykanadi
* Hanunoo
* Javanese
* Kadamba
* Kannada
* Karen
* Kawi
* Khmer
* Khom Thai
* Kulitan
* Lanna
* Langdi
* Lao
* Leke
* Lontara
* Bilang-bilang
* Makasar
* Malayalam
* Old Maldivian
* Dhives Akuru
* Eveyla Akuru
* Mon–Burmese
* Pallava
* Pyu
* Saurashtra
* Shan
* Sinhala
* Sukhothai
* Sundanese
* Old Sundanese
* Tagbanwa
* Tai Le
* New Tai Lue
* Tai Noi
* Tai Tham
* Tai Viet
* Lai Tay
* Tamil
* Tamil-Brahmi
* Tanchangya
* Telugu
* Thai
* Tigalari
* Ulu scripts
* Incung
* Lampung
* Lembak
* Ogan
* Pasemah
* Rejang
* Serawai
* Vatteluttu
* Kolezhuthu
* Malayanma

Others|

* Bharati
* Boyd's syllabic shorthand
* Canadian syllabics
* Blackfoot
* Déné syllabics
* Dham
* Fox I
* Geʽez
* Gunjala Gondi
* Japanese Braille
* Sarati
* Jenticha
* Kharosthi
* Mandombe
* Masaram Gondi
* Meroitic
* Miao
* Mwangwego
* Pahawh Hmong
* Sorang Sompeng
* Tengwar
* Thaana
* Thomas Natural Shorthand
* Warang Citi
* Mwangwego
* Rma

Alphabets

| Linear|

* Adlam
* Ariyaka
* Armenian
* Avestan
* Pazend
* Avoiuli
* Bassa Vah
* Carian
* Caucasian Albanian
* Cirth
* Coelbren
* Coorgi–Cox alphabet
* Coptic
* Cyrillic
* Serbian
* Early
* Deseret
* Duployan shorthand
* Chinook
* Eclectic shorthand
* Elbasan
* Enochian
* Etruscan
* Formosan
* Fox II
* Fraser
* Gabelsberger shorthand
* Gadabuursi
* Garay alphabet
* Georgian
* Asomtavruli
* Nuskhuri
* Mkhedruli
* Veso Bey
* Glagolitic
* Gothic
* Gregg shorthand
* Greek (Archaic)
* Greco-Iberian alphabet
* Hangul
* Hanifi
* Sunuwar
* Kaddare
* Kayah Li
* Klingon
* Latin
* Beneventan
* Blackletter
* Carolingian minuscule
* Fraktur
* Gaelic
* Insular
* IPA
* Kurrent
* Merovingian
* Sigla
* Sütterlin
* Tironian notes
* Visigothic
* Luo
* Lycian
* Lydian
* Manchu
* Medefaidrin
* Molodtsov
* Mru
* Mundari Bani
* N'Ko
* Ogham
* Ol Chiki
* Old Hungarian
* Old Italic
* Old Permic
* Orkhon
* Old Uyghur
* Mongolian
* Evenki
* Galik alphabet
* Manchu
* Oirat
* Vagindra
* Ol Onal
* Osage
* Osmanya
* Pau Cin Hau
* Phrygian
* Pisidian
* Runic
* Anglo-Saxon
* Cipher
* Dalecarlian
* Elder Futhark
* Younger Futhark
* Gothic
* Marcomannic
* Medieval
* Staveless
* Shavian
* Sidetic
* Sorang Sompeng
* Sunuwar
* Tifinagh
* Todhri
* Tolong Siki
* Vellara
* Visible Speech
* Vithkuqi
* Wancho
* Warang Citi
* Yezidi
* Zaghawa

|

Non-linear|

* Braille
* Maritime flags
* Telegraph code
* New York Point
* Flag semaphore
* Moon type

Ideograms

* Adinkra
* Aztec
* Blissymbols
* Dongba
* Ersu Shaba
* Emoji
* Isotype
* Kaidā
* Miꞌkmaw
* Mixtec
* New Epoch Notation Painting
* Nsibidi
* Anishinaabewibii'iganan
* Olmec
* Siglas poveiras
* Testerian
* Yerkish
* Zapotec

Logograms

| Chinese family of scripts|

| Chinese characters|

* Simplified
* Traditional
* Oracle bone script
* Bronze scripts
* Seal script
* large
* small
* bird-worm
* Hanja
* Kanji
* Chữ Nôm
* Sawndip
* Bowen

|

Chinese-influenced|

* Jurchen
* Khitan large script
* Sui
* Tangut

Cuneiform|

* Akkadian
* Assyrian
* Elamite
* Hittite
* Luwian
* Sumerian

Other logosyllabic|

* Anatolian
* Bagam
* Cretan
* Isthmian
* Maya
* Proto-Elamite
* Tenevil
* Yi (Classical)

Logoconsonantal|

* Demotic
* Hieratic
* Hieroglyphs

Numerals|

* Hindu-Arabic
* Abjad
* Attic (Greek)
* Muisca
* Roman

Other|

* Sitelen Pona

Semi-syllabaries

| Full|

* Linear Elamite
* Celtiberian
* Iberian
* Northeastern
* Southeastern
* Khom
* Dunging

|

Redundant|

* Espanca script
* Pahawh Hmong
* Khitan small script
* Southwest Paleohispanic
* Bopomofo
* Quốc Âm Tân Tự

Sign languages

* ASLwrite
* SignWriting
* si5s
* Stokoe notation

Syllabaries

* Afaka
* Bamum
* Bété
* Byblos
* Canadian Aboriginal
* Cherokee
* Cypriot
* Cypro-Minoan
* Ditema tsa Dinoko
* Eskayan
* Geba
* Great Lakes Algonquian
* Iban
* Idu
* Kana
* Hiragana
* Katakana
* Man'yōgana
* Hentaigana
* Sōgana
* Jindai moji
* Kikakui
* Kpelle
* Linear B
* Linear Elamite
* Lisu
* Loma
* Nüshu
* Nwagu Aneke script
* Old Persian cuneiform
* Sumerian
* Vai
* Woleai
* Yi
* Yugtun

* v
* t
* e

Braille ⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑

Braille cell|

* 1829 braille
* International uniformity
* ASCII braille
* Unicode braille patterns

Braille scripts|

| French-ordered|

* Albanian
* Azerbaijani
* Cantonese
* Catalan
* Chinese (mainland Mandarin) (largely reassigned)
* Czech
* Dutch
* English (Unified English)
* Esperanto
* French
* German
* Ghanaian
* Guarani
* Hawaiian
* Hungarian
* Iñupiaq
* IPA
* Irish
* Italian
* Latvian
* Lithuanian
* Luxembourgish (extended to 8-dot)
* Maltese
* Māori
* Navajo
* Nigerian
* Philippine
* Polish
* Portuguese
* Romanian
* Samoan
* Slovak
* South African
* Spanish
* Taiwanese Mandarin (largely reassigned)
* Turkish
* Vietnamese
* Welsh
* Yugoslav
* Zambian

| Nordic family|

* Estonian
* Faroese
* Icelandic
* Scandinavian
* Danish
* Finnish
* Greenlandic
* Northern Sámi
* Norwegian
* Swedish

|

Russian lineage family
i.e. Cyrillic-mediated scripts|

* Belarusian
* Bulgarian
* Kazakh
* Kyrgyz
* Mongolian
* Russian
* Tatar
* Ukrainian

Egyptian lineage family
i.e. Arabic-mediated scripts|

* Arabic
* Persian
* Urdu (Pakistan)

Indian lineage family
i.e. Bharati Braille|

* Devanagari (Hindi / Marathi / Nepali)
* Bengali (Bangla / Assamese)
* Gujarati
* Kannada
* Malayalam
* Odia
* Punjabi
* Sinhala
* Tamil
* Telugu
* Urdu (India)

Other scripts|

* Amharic
* Armenian
* Burmese
* Dzongkha (Bhutanese)
* Georgian
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Inuktitut (reassigned vowels)
* Khmer
* Thai and Lao (Japanese vowels)
* Tibetan

Reordered|

* Algerian Braille (obsolete)

Frequency-based|

* American Braille (obsolete)

Independent|

* Chinese semi-syllabaries
* Cantonese
* Mainland Chinese Mandarin
* Taiwanese Mandarin
* Two-cell Chinese (Shuangpin)
* Japanese
* Korean

Eight-dot|

* Luxembourgish
* Kanji
* Gardner–Salinas braille codes (GS8)

Symbols in braille|

* Braille music
* Canadian currency marks
* Computer Braille Code
* Gardner–Salinas braille codes (science; GS8/GS6)
* International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
* Nemeth braille code

Braille technology|

* Braille e-book
* Braille embosser
* Braille translator
* Braille watch
* Mountbatten Brailler
* Optical braille recognition
* Perforation
* Perkins Brailler
* Refreshable braille display
* Slate and stylus
* Braigo

People|

* Louis Braille
* Charles Barbier
* Róża Czacka
* Valentin Haüy
* Harris Mowbray
* Thakur Vishva Narain Singh
* Sabriye Tenberken
* William Bell Wait

Organisations|

* Braille Institute of America
* Braille Without Borders
* Japan Braille Library
* National Braille Association
* Blindness organizations
* Schools for the blind
* American Printing House for the Blind

Other tactile alphabets|

* Decapoint
* Moon type
* New York Point
* Night writing
* Vibratese

Related topics|

* Accessible publishing
* Braille literacy
* RoboBraille

* v
* t
* e

Sign language

* List of sign languages
* List by number of signers

Language
families[a]|

Sign languages by family

Australian
Aboriginal
(multiple families)[c]|

* Diyari
* Djingili
* Eltye eltyarrenke
* Iltyeme iltyeme
* Jaralde
* Kalkutungu
* Miriwoong
* Mudburra
* Pitha Pitha
* Rdaka rdaka
* Umpila
* Far North Queensland
* Warlmanpa
* Warluwara
* Warramunga
* Worora Kinship
* Yan-nhaŋu
* Yir Yoront
* Yolŋu

| Western Desert|

* Kartutjarra
* Manjiljarra
* Ngaatjatjarra

|

Zendath Kesign|

* Meriam
* Western Torres Strait Islander

Arab (Ishaaric)|

* Egyptian
* Kuwaiti
* Libyan
* Qatari Unified
* Yemeni

Iraqi–
Levantine|

* Iraqi

Levantine|

* Jordanian
* Lebanese
* Palestinian
* Syrian

Possible|

* Emirati
* Saudi
* Omani

Chinese Sign|

* Chinese (CSL/ZGS)
* Shanghai
* Hong Kong (HKSL)
* Macau

Chilean-Paraguayan-
Uruguayan Sign|

* Chilean (LSCh)

Paraguayan-
Uruguayan Sign|

* Paraguay (LSPY)
* Uruguay (LSU)

Francosign|

* Algerian (LSA)
* Swiss-German (DSGS)
* Estonian (Eesti viipekeel)
* Irish (ISL)
* Australian-Irish
* Brazilian (Libras)
* Lithuanian
* Catalan (LSC)
* Valencian (LSV)
* French (LSF)
* Old French[c]
* Romanian (LSR)

American
(ASLic)|

* American (ASL)
* Black ASL (BASL)
* Protactile
* Bolivian
* Burmese
* Yangon
* Mandalay
* Cambodian
* Costa Rican
* Dominican
* Guyanese
* Jamaican
* Malaysian (BIM)
* Panamanian
* Filipino (FSL)
* Puerto Rican (PRSL)
* Singapore (SgSL)

Indonesian (Nusantaric)|

* Indonesian (Bisindo)
* Jakarta
* Yogyakarta

Francophone African
(Françafrosign)|

* Ethiopian
* Chadian
* Ghanaian
* Guinean
* Bamako (LaSiMa)
* Moroccan
* Nigerian
* Sierra Leonean

Mixed, Hand Talk|

* Oneida (OSL)

Mixed, Hoailona ʻŌlelo|

* Creole Hawaiʻi Sign Language (CHSL)

Mixed, French (LSF)|

* Greek (ΕΝΓ/ENG)
* Cypriot (ΚΝΓ/KNG)
* Quebec (LSQ)

Austro-
Hungarian|

* Czech (ČZJ)
* Hungarian (Magyar Jelnyev)
* Austrian (ÖGS)
* Slovak (SPJ)
* Ukrainian (УЖМ/USL)

Russian Sign|

* Azerbaijani (AİD)
* Bulgarian (БЖЕ)
* Georgian
* Kazakh-Russian (KSL/KRSL)
* Latvian (LSL)
* Mongolian
* Russian (РЖЯ)

Yugoslavic Sign|

* Croatian (HZJ)
* Kosovar
* Serbian
* Slovenian
* Yugoslav (YSL)

Dutch Sign|

* Dutch (NGT)
* Gambian

Italian Sign|

* Italian (LIS)
* Tunisian (TSL)

Mexican Sign|

* Mexican (LSM)
* Honduran (LESHO)

Old Belgian|

* Flemish (VGT)
* French Belgian (LSFB)

Danish (Tegnic)|

* Malagasy
* Icelandic (Táknmál)
* Norwegian (Tegnspråk)
* Danish (Tegnsprog)
* Faroese (Teknmál)

Viet-Thai|

* Hai Phong
* Hanoi
* Ho Chi Minh
* Thai (TSL/MSTSL)

Hand Talk|

* Great Basin
* Northeast
* Plains Sign Talk
* Southeast
* Southwest

Mixed, American (ASL)|

* Oneida (OSL)

Plateau|

* A'aninin
* Kalispel
* Ktunaxa (ʾa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam)
* Nesilextcl'n
* Shuswap (Secwepemcékst)
* Sqeliz

Indo-Pakistani
Sign|

* Bangalore-Madras
* Beluchistan
* Bengali
* Bombay
* Calcutta
* Delhi
* Nepali
* North West Frontier Province
* Punjab-Sindh

Japanese Sign|

* Japanese (JSL/Nihon Shuwa)
* Korean (KSL/Hanguk Sueo)
* Taiwanese (TSL/Taiwan Shouyu)

Kentish[c]|

* Old Kentish
* Chilmark
* Martha's Vineyard (MVSL)

Maya (Meemul Tziij /
Meemul Ch'aab'al)|

* Highland Maya
* Yucatec
* Chicán
* Nohkop
* Nohya
* Trascorral
* Cepeda Peraza

NW Eurosign|

| BANZSL|

* Auslan
* Papua New Guinean (PNGSL)
* British (BSL)
* Northern Ireland (NISL)
* Fijian
* Maritime (MSL)
* New Zealand (NZSL)
* Samoan
* South African (SASL)

Swedish Sign|

* Eritrean (EriSL)
* Finland-Swedish (FinSSL)
* Portuguese (LGP)
* Cape Verdian (LGC)
* São Tomé and Príncipean (LGSTP)
* Swedish (Teckenspråk)
* Finnish (Viittomakieli)

German Sign|

* German (DGS)
* Polish (PJM)
* Israeli (Shassi)

Original Thai Sign|

* Chiangmai
* Hai Phong
* Old Bangkok

Paget Gorman|

* Namibian (NSL)

Providencia–
Cayman Sign|

* Providence Island (Provisle)
* Old Cayman (Guyanese)

Isolates|

* Afghan
* Al-Sayyid Bedouin (ABSL)
* Albanian (AlbSL)
* Albarradas Sign Language
* Alipur
* Argentine (LSA)
* Armenian
* Caucasian (Harsneren)[c]
* Bay Islands
* Belizean
* Berbey
* Bhutanese
* Bouakako (LaSiBo)
* Bribri
* Brunca
* Bura
* Carhuahuaran
* Cena
* Central Taurus (CTSL/OTİD)
* Chatino
* Chiriqui
* Cuban (LSC)
* Dogon/Douentza
* Ecuadorian (LSEC)
* Enga
* Ghandruk
* Ghardaia (AJSL)
* Guatemalan (Lensegua)
* Guinea-Bissau
* Henniker[c]
* Hausa (HSL/Magannar Hannu)
* Hawaiʻi (Hoailona ʻŌlelo)
* Creole HSL
* Inuit
* Inuit Uukturausingit (IUR)
* Greenlandic (Ussersuataarneq)
* Jhankot
* Jumla
* Ka'apor
* Kajana
* Kafr Qasim
* Kailge
* Kata Kolok
* Kenyan (KSL/LAK)
* Somali (SSL)
* Keresan Pueblo (KPISL/Keresign)
* Kisindo
* Jamaican Country (KS/Konchri Sain)
* Macedonian
* Malawian
* Maltese (LSM)
* Mardin
* Maroua
* Maunabudhuk–Bodhe
* Mauritian (MSL)
* M'bour
* Mehek
* Miyakubo Shuwa
* Burkina (Mossi)
* Mount Avejaha
* Mozambican
* Naga
* Navajo/Diné Family
* Nicaraguan (ISN)
* Old Costa Rican
* Orocovis (LSOR)
* Ottoman (Seraglio/Harem)
* Ban Khor (Pasa kidd)
* Penang
* Persian (Esharani)
* Peruvian (LSP)
* Inmaculada
* Qahveh Khaneh
* Rennellese[c]
* Rossel Island
* Rwandan (AKR/AMR)
* Sandy River Valley[c]
* Salvadoran (LESSA)
* Sawmill
* Sinasina (SSSL)
* Sivia
* South Rupununi
* Spanish (LSE)
* Tebul
* Terena
* Tibetan (Bökyi lagda)
* Trinidad and Tobago (TTSL)
* Turkish (TİD)
* Ugandan (USL)
* Venezuelan (LSV/VSL)
* Wanib
* West African
* Adamorobe (AdaSL/Mumu kasa)
* Bura (Burasl)
* Mofu-Gudur
* Nanabin (NanabinSL)
* Yoruban (YSL)
* Zambian (ZSL)

Other groupings|

* Amami Shuwa languages
* Ethiopian languages
* Laotian languages
* Rwandan languages
* Sri Lankan languages
* Sudanese languages (~150)[b]
* Tanzanian languages (7+)[b]
* Zimsign languages

* International Sign
* Village languages

By region[a]|

Sign languages by region

Africa|

Algeria
Algerian
Ghardaia
Cameroon
Maroua
Cape Verde
Cape Verdian (LGC)
Ghana
Adamorobe (AdaSL / Mumu kasa)
Nanabin
Ivory Coast
Bouakako (LaSiBo)
Kenya
Kenyan
Malawi
Malawian
Mali
Bamako (LaSiMa)
Berbey
Tebul
Mozambique
Mozambican
Nigeria
Bura
Hausa (Magannar Hannu)
Rwanda
Rwandan (Amarenga)
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipean (LGSTP)
Senegal
Mbour
Somalia, Somaliland & Djibouti
Somali
South Africa
South African
Tanzania
Tanzanian
Uganda
Ugandan
Zambia
Zambian

Asia|

Bengal
Bengali
Cambodia
Cambodian
China
Chinese
Hong Kong
Hong Kong (HKSL)
India
Alipur
Bengali
Indo-Pakistani
Naga
Indonesia
Indonesian
Kata Kolok (Benkala, Balinese)
Iran
Iranian (Esharani)
Qahveh Khaneh
Iraq
Iraqi
Kurdish
Israel
Al-Sayyid Bedouin
Ghardaia
Israeli
Kafr Qasem
Japan
Japanese
Koniya
Miyakubo
Korea
Korean
Kazakhstan
Kazakh-Russian
Laos
Laotian
Malaysia
Malaysian
Penang
Selangor
Maldives
Maldives
Mongolia
Mongolian
Nepal
Ghandruk
Jhankot
Jumla
Maunabudhuk–Bodhe
Nepalese
Philippines
Filipino
Saudi Arabia
Saudi
Singapore
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan
Taiwan
Taiwanese
Tajikistan
Russian
Tibet
Tibetan (Bökyi lagda)
Thailand
Old Bangkok
Chiangmai
Thai
Ban Khor (Pasa kidd)
Vietnam
Vietnamese

Europe|

Armenia
Armenian
Austria
Austrian
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani
Belgium
Flemish
French Belgian
United Kingdom
British
Croatia
Croatian
Denmark
Danish
Faroese (Teknmál)
Estonia
Estonian
Finland
Finnish
France
Ghardaia
French
Lyons
Georgia
Georgian
Germany
German
Greece
Greek
Hungary
Hungarian
Iceland
Icelandic
Ireland
Irish
Italy
Italian
Kosovo
Yugoslav (Kosovar)
Latvia
Latvian
Lithuania
Lithuanian
Moldova
Russian
Netherlands
Dutch
North Macedonia
Macedonian
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Norway
Norwegian
Poland
Polish
Portugal
Portuguese
Russia
Russian
Slovenia
Slovenian
Spain
Catalan
Spanish
Valencian
Sweden
Swedish
Switzerland
Swiss-German
Turkey
Central Taurus (CTSL/OTİD)
Mardin
Turkish
Ukraine
Ukrainian

North and
Central
America|

Belize
Belizean
Canada
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Hand Talk

Oneida (OSL)
Plateau
Inuit (IUR)
Maritime (MSL)
Sawmill
Quebec
Cayman
Old Cayman
Costa Rica
Bribri
Brunca
Old Costa Rican
New Costa Rican
Cuba
Cuban
Greenland
Greenlandic (Ussersuataarneq)
Guatemala
Guatemalan
Mayan
Haiti
Haitian
Honduras
Bay Islands
Honduran
Mexico
Albarradas
Chatino
Mayan
Mexican
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan
Panama
Chiriqui
Panamanian
Puerto Rico (USA)
American (ASL)

Puerto Rican
Orocovis
El Salvador
Salvadoran (LESSO)
Old Salvadoran
United States
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Hand Talk

Oneida (OSL)
Plateau
Henniker
Keresan (Keresign)
Martha's Vineyard
Navajo Family
Sandy River Valley
Sawmill

Oceania|

Australia
Akitiri (Eltye eltyarrenke)
Arrernte (Iltyeme iltyeme)
Auslan
Australian-Irish
Manjiljarra
Mudbura (Mudburra)
Ngada
Umpila

Far North Queensland
Warlmanpa
Warlpiri (Rdaka rdaka)
Warumungu (Warramunga)
Western Desert
Western Torres Strait Islander
Yir Yoront
Yolŋu
Hawaii (USA)
Hawaiʻan (Haoilona ʻŌlelo)
New Zealand
New Zealand (NZSL)
Papua New Guinea
Enga
Kailge
Mehek
Mount Avejaha
Papua New Guinean (PNGSL)
Rossel Island
Sinasina
Wanib
Samoa and American Samoa
Samoan

South America|

Argentina
Argentine (LSA)
Bolivia
Bolivian
Brazil
Brazilian (Libras)
Cena
Ka'apor
South Rupununi
Terena
Chile
Chilean
Colombia
Colombian
Provisle
Ecuador
Ecuadorian
Guyana
Guyanese
South Rupununi
Paraguay
Paraguayan
Peru
Carhuahuaran
Inmaculada
Peruvian
Sivia
Suriname
Kajana
Uruguay
Uruguayan
Venezuela
Venezuelan

International|

* International Sign
* Makaton
* Monastic
* Signalong

ASL|

* Grammar
* Idioms
* Literature
* Profanity
* Name signs

Extinct
languages|

* Chilmark
* Diyari
* Jaralde
* Kalkutungu
* Henniker Sign Language
* Martha's Vineyard
* Old French
* Old Kent
* Plateau Sign Language
* Pitha Pitha
* Sandy River Valley Sign Language
* Warluwara

Linguistics|

* Grammar (ASL)
* Bimodal bilingualism
* Phonology (ASL)
* Handshape / Location / Orientation / Movement / Expression
* Mouthing
* Nonmanual feature
* Sign names
* Home sign

Fingerspelling|

* American
* British (two-handed)
* Catalan
* Chilean
* Esperanto
* French
* German
* Hungarian
* Irish
* Japanese
* Korean
* Polish
* Russian
* Serbo-Croatian
* Spanish
* Ukrainian
* Portuguese

Writing|

* ASL-phabet
* Hamburg Notation System
* Stokoe notation
* SignWriting
* si5s
* ASLwrite ()

Language
contact|

* Contact sign
* Initialized sign
* Mouthing

Signed Oral
Languages|

* Indian Signing System
* Manually coded English
* Manually coded language in South Africa
* Manually Coded Malay
* Paget Gorman Sign System
* Signed Dutch
* Signed French
* Signed German
* Signed Italian
* Signed Japanese
* Signed Polish
* Signed Spanish
* Signing Exact English
* Signed Swedish

Others|

* Bilingual–bicultural education
* Manually coded language

Media|

* Films (list)
* Television shows (list)

Persons|

* Jabbar Baghtcheban
* Jeanette Berglind
* Pär Aron Borg
* Thomas Braidwood
* Laurent Clerc
* Abbé de l'Épée
* Roger Fouts
* Valerie Sutton
* Thomas Gallaudet
* Abbé Sicard
* William Stokoe
* Pierre Pélissier

Organisations|

* Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada
* International Center on Deafness and the Arts
* Mimics and Gesture Theatre
* World Association of Sign Language Interpreters

Miscellaneous|

* Baby sign language
* CHCI chimpanzee center (Washoe, Loulis)
* Open Outcry
* Legal recognition
* U.S. Army hand and arm signals
* Monastic sign languages
* Tactile signing
* Protactile
* Tic-tac

^a Sign-language names reflect the region of origin. Natural sign languages are not related to the spoken language used in the same region. For example, French Sign Language originated in France, but is not related to French. Conversely, ASL and BSL both originated in English-speaking countries but are not related to each other; ASL however is related to French Sign Language.

^b Denotes the number (if known) of languages within the family. No further information is given on these languages.

^c Italics indicate extinct languages.

* v
* t
* e

Writing systems for sign languages

* ASL-phabet
* ASLwrite
* Hamburg Notation System
* Si5s
* Sutton SignWriting
* Stokoe notation

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