Salad
Handshape: Curved Hands
Memory Aide: tossing ingredients in a salad bowl
Example of sentence usage: He poured dressing on the salad.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: mixed greens
Salute (hello)
Handshape: B Hand
Memory Aide: a formal “hello” salute
Example of sentence usage: He saluted his father-in-law when he saw him.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: Greetings! Howdy! Salut!
Salute (Military Salute)
Handshape: B Hand
Memory Aide: a soldier salute
Example of sentence usage: The soldier saluted the commander.
Saw
Handshape: S Hands
Memory Aide: the action of a hand saw
Example of sentence usage: He needed a saw to cut down the tree.
Scent (fume, fragrance, odor, smell)
Handshape: Open Hand
Memory Aide: waving your hand in front of your nose to breathe in a scent
Example of sentence usage: The scent of the fresh flowers filled the air.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: aroma, essence
Scissors (shears)
Handshape: V Hand
Memory Aide: action of scissors opening and closing
Example of sentence usage: She used the scissors, rather than tearing the cloth.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: clippers, trimmers
Scold (admonish, rebuke, reprimand)
Handshape: Index Finger Hand
Memory Aide: Mime scolding with a finger wag!
Example of sentence usage: The teacher admonished the class to be quiet.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: berate, castigate, chastise, chide, lecture
Idiomatic expression: rake over the coals
Scoop
Handshape: Curved Hand
Memory Aide: scooping something with your hand
Example of sentence usage: She scooped potting soil to plant the flowers.
Consider using this sign for: scoopful
Scramble (blend, complex, complicate, confuse, disorder, mix, stir)
Handshape: Curved 5 Hands
Memory Aide: things getting mixed and scrambled
Example of sentence usage: It’s hard to see the truth when it is all scrambled together.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: confound, disarrangement, garble, intermix, intermingle, muddle
Scribble (edit, write)
Handshape: Modified X Hand
Memory Aide: holding a pen and writing
Example of sentence usage: She scribbled something and handed it to the teacher.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: doodle, jot, scrawl
Seasoning (powder, season)
Handshape: C Hand
Memory Aide: sprinkling on seasoning
Example of sentence usage: The seasoning brought out the taste of the meat.
Seat Belt (buckle)
Handshape: Bent V Hands
Memory Aide: clasping a lap seat belt
Example of sentence usage: Be sure your seat belt is buckled.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: lap belt
Sew (needlework)
Handshape: F Hands
Memory Aide: hands sewing
Example of sentence usage: She sewed the tear in his pants.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: embroider, stitch, tailor
Shake
Handshape: C Hands
Memory Aide: the action of hands shaking something
Example of sentence usage: You need to shake the paint can before you use it.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: agitate, rattle
Shame (shame on you)
Handshape: Index Finger Hands
Memory Aide: a natural gesture using the index fingers to make the statement of shame
Example of sentence usage: Shame, for not being careful!
Shame on You (shame)
Handshape: Index Finger Hands
Memory Aide: a natural gesture using the index fingers to make the statement of shame
Example of sentence usage: Shame on you for not doing your school work today!
Shampoo (wash one’s hair)
Handshape: Curved 5 Hands
Memory Aide: hands moving to wash one’s hair
Example of sentence usage: They shampooed her hair before cutting it.
Shears (scissors)
Handshape: V Hand
Memory Aide: action of scissors opening and closing
Example of sentence usage: She used the shears to remove the loose threads.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: clippers
Shhhh! (be quiet, quiet)
Handshape: Index Finger Hand
Memory Aide: hushing someone
Example of sentence usage: Shhh! This is a library!
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: hush, shush
Shiver (cold, chilly, frigid, winter)
Handshape: S Hands
Memory Aide: shivering from chilly weather
Example of sentence usage: The child went outside without a jacket and started to shiver.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: wintry
Shoo! (away, get/go away)
Handshape: Open Hand
Memory Aide: waving off someone or something to shoo away
Example of sentence usage: Shoo! Get off my property!
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: disappear, get going, scat, scram, take off, vamoose
Idiomatic expressions: hit the road
Shoot (fire)
Handshape: L Hand
Memory Aide: hammer action of firing a gun
Example of sentence usage: The hunter wants to shoot a deer.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: discharge, open fire
Shoot! (Alas! Darn! Drat!)
Handshape: 3 Hand
Memory Aide: Snap your fingers!
Example of sentence usage: Shoot! I forgot to get milk.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: Dang! Doggone! Gees!
Gosh-darn! Rats! Shucks!
Shot (hypodermic, inject, vaccine)
Handshape: L Hand
Memory Aide: giving yourself an injection/shot
Example of sentence usage: His doctor gave him a shot before his trip.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: syringe
Shoulder pad
Handshape: Curved Hands
Memory Aide: putting on shoulder pads
Example of sentence usage: Football players wear shoulder pads.
Consider using this sign for: epaulet
Shove
Handshape: 5 Hand
Memory Aide: giving a shove
Example of sentence usage: She gave him a shove and walked on by.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: push
Shovel (dig)
Handshape: Modified X Hands
Memory Aide: digging with a shovel
Example of sentence usage: He shoveled the snow.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: break up ground, spade
Shrug
Memory Aide: shrug your shoulder!
Example of sentence usage: He shrugged and admitted defeat.
Consider using this gesture to easily express: indifference, no idea
Shudder
Handshape: 5 Hands
Memory Aide: showing someone your hands are trembling
Example of sentence usage: The little boy shuddered to think that monsters may exist.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: shaking, tremble
Shuffle
Handshape: C Hands
Memory Aide: hands shuffling cards
Example of sentence usage: He shuffled and then dealt the cards.
Slap
Handshape: Open Hand
Memory Aide: giving a slap
Example of sentence usage: His mom gave him a slap when he used a vulgar word.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: whack
Slot Machine
Handshape: S Hand
Memory Aide: pulling the lever on a slot machine
Example of sentence usage: He spent all of his money on the slot machines in Vegas.
Smash (mash)
Handshape: heel of the Open Hand (dominant) and Open Hand (nondominant)
Memory Aide: mashing something that is in your hand
Example of sentence usage: She smashed the clay in preparation for its new design.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: bash, crush, squash, squelch
Smell (odor, fume, fragrance, scent)
Handshape: Open Hand
Memory Aide: waving your hand in front of your nose to breathe in a smell
Example of sentence usage: She loves the smell of roses.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: aroma, essence
Smoking A Cigarette
Handshape: V Hand
Memory Aide: smoking a cigarette
Example of sentence usage: Smoking a cigarette is bad for your lungs.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: puffing, smoking, taking a drag
Snap Fingers
Memory Aide: just snap your fingers
Example of sentence usage: It’s just like a snap of the fingers, easy to do!
Snatch (grab, grasp)
Handshape: Curved 5 Hand changes to S Hand
Memory Aide: grabbing something and holding on
Example of sentence usage: The robber snatched her purse and ran.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: clasp, clutch, grip
Sneeze
Handshape: Index Finger Hand
Memory Aide: trying to stop a sneeze
Example of sentence usage: Cover your mouth when you sneeze!
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: achoo!
Sniff
Handshape: Open Hand
Memory Aide: drawing in air to the nose
Example of sentence usage: She bent down and sniffed the roses.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: inhale, smell
Snip
Handshape: V Hand (dominant) and Index Finger Hand (nondominant)
Memory Aide: a quick snip at something with a scissors
Example of sentence usage: She snipped the loose thread off her dress.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: cut, sever
So-called (issue, quotation, quote, subject, theme, title, topic)
Handshape: V Hands
Memory Aide: highlighting a “so-called” subject by drawing in the air quotation marks
Example of sentence usage: The so-called investigation was not thorough at all.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: alleged
So-so (fair, sort of)
Handshape: 5 Hand
Memory Aide: the sentiment of showing you are feeling neither good or bad
Example of sentence usage: I feel so-so today.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: indifferent, kind of, lackluster, mediocre
Softball (baseball)
Handshape: S Hands
Memory Aide: gripping a bat and swinging it
Example of sentence usage: Softball was taught in my high school girl’s gym class.
Sort Of (fair, so-so)
Handshape: 5 Hand
Memory Aide: the sentiment of showing you are feeling neither good or bad
Example of sentence usage: I sort of feel like going but not sure.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: indifferent, lackluster, mediocre
Spear
Handshape: S Hand becomes the 5 Hand
Memory Aide: throwing a spear
Example of sentence usage: She used a spear to kill the fish.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: lance
Spooky (haunt, monster)
Handshape: Curved 5 Hands
Memory Aide: Frankenstein haunting with his arms in the air!
Example of sentence usage: The old abandoned mansion looked spooky.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: creepy, ghostly
Spray
Handshape: X Hand
Memory Aide: spraying air freshener
Example of sentence usage: She sprayed the water on her bonsai plants.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: squirt
Stink
Handshape: G Hand
Memory Aide: pinching a nose to stop breathing in the smell
Example of sentence usage: Is that stink from the garbage can?
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: foul odor, stench
Stir (blend, complex, complicate, confuse, disorder, mix, scramble)
Handshape: Curved 5 Hands
Memory Aide: things getting mixed and confusing
Example of sentence usage: The office was in a stir over the new technology.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: confound, disarrangement, garble, intermix, intermingle, muddle
Stir (batter, beat, mix)
Handshape: C Hand (nondominant) and A Hand (dominant)
Memory Aide: holding a bowl and stirring the contents
Example of sentence usage: She added sugar to her drink and stirred it.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: blend, fold in
Strip (revoke, rip, tear, torn)
Handshape: F Hands
Memory Aide: tearing/stripping something in half
Example of sentence usage: She stripped the contract and said, “No deal.”
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: pull apart, rip up, shred, tear up
Stupid (dumb)
Handshape: A Hand
Memory Aide: the sentiment of hitting your forehead after saying something foolish
Example of sentence usage: I felt so stupid when I did not know the answer!
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: brainless, dopey (slang), moronic, nonsensical, simpleminded, witless
Subject (issue, quotation, quote, so-called, theme, title, topic)
Handshape: V Hands
Memory Aide: highlighting a subject by drawing in the air quotation marks
Example of sentence usage: The subject of the class discussion was racial injustice.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: case, matter
Suitcase (handbag, luggage, purse)
Handshape: S Hand
Memory Aide: holding a suitcase by the handles
Example of sentence usage: He packed the suitcase and left for the airport.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: bag, briefcase, satchel
Sweep (broom)
Handshape: S Hands
Memory Aide: hands holding a broom and sweeping
Example of sentence usage: She swept the floor.
Synonyms to start matching your sign to English now: sweep up
Swim
Handshape: Open Hands
Memory Aide: hands gliding through the water
Example of sentence usage: She swam in the ocean.
