How to sign “Search” in ASL
The BSL sign for “Search” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Curve your dominant hand into a C, thumb and fingers forming a claw.
- Raise the C hand to the middle of your face, beside your nose.
- Circle the C hand clockwise around the center of your face.
- Turn the palm to face left (if right-handed) as the hand orbits.
- Squint slightly or scan your eyes around, as if hunting for something.
Practice tip
The C orbits the face clockwise — a C circling anywhere else reads as a different sign.
Fingerspell “Search”
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.