How to sign “Older” in ASL
The BSL sign for “Older” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Sign OLD first: touch your chin with the side of a closed fist, then pull the fist straight down toward your chest.
- Immediately shape your dominant hand into an A, with the thumb resting on top of the fist.
- Hold the A hand in front of you with its palm side facing left and the knuckles pointing forward.
- Flick the A hand upward about three to five inches in one short, firm motion.
- Keep the upward motion smaller than the -est suffix — older is a comparison, not a superlative.
Practice tip
The -er suffix is just OLD plus the little A-hand lift; give -est the longer, bigger rise instead.
Fingerspell “Older”
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.