How to sign “Match” in ASL
The BSL sign for “Match” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Pinch your dominant thumb and fingers loosely together, as if gripping a thin matchstick.
- Hold your non-dominant hand flat before your chest with the palm facing sideways and fingers up.
- Strike the dominant fingertips downward across the base palm, like scratching a match to light it.
- For the noun form, make two very small quick strikes instead of one sweeping stroke.
- For the verb form, use one single large strike and keep your expression focused.
Practice tip
This is the matchstick sense; matching two things as a pair belongs to the combine sign family.
Fingerspell “Match”
Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.
Text-based guide researched from established ASL references (Lifeprint, university and public-health materials) and rewritten in original words. Signer-created photos and videos are a planned future upgrade.