How to sign “Stepped” in ASL

Everyday Life

The BSL sign for “Stepped” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.

Step by step

  1. Hold both hands out in front of your torso as flat hands, palms facing down, as if each hand were a foot.
  2. Keep your non-dominant hand still and low in front of you, acting as the back foot.
  3. Lift your dominant hand up a few inches, letting the fingers tilt upward like a foot lifting off the ground.
  4. Swing the raised hand forward past the stationary hand, moving in a short stepping arc.
  5. Set the dominant hand down in its new forward position, finishing with both hands flat and palms down.

Practice tip

Past form of “Step” — signed with the base sign; time is shown separately, not on the verb.

Fingerspell “Stepped”

Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.

ASL handshape for letter SASL handshape for letter TASL handshape for letter EASL handshape for letter PASL handshape for letter PASL handshape for letter EASL handshape for letter D

See all ASL handshapes in the alphabet reference

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.

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