Anyone who has ever tried to thank a Deaf friend, coworker, or family member in sign language knows the hesitation: which hand, which movement, whose rules? The answer starts with geography: ASL and BSL are separate languages, not interchangeable regional versions of one universal sign system, according to Handspeak (ASL dictionary and language resource). The signs for “thank you” are only the beginning — the polite phrases around them and the mistakes that turn gratitude into confusion matter just as much.

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ASL users in the United States: 500,000 to 2 million · BSL users in the United Kingdom: ~150,000 · Year BSL was legally recognised: 2003 · ASL signs in common use: 10,000+

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • The exact origin of the ASL “thank you” sign is not formally documented.
  • Descriptions of the BSL palm orientation vary across sources — some show the palm inward, others facing the signer.
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Match the language to the region: learn ASL in North America, BSL in the UK.
  • Verify the exact movement with a dictionary or a fluent signer before using it in conversation.

Eight rows, one pattern: geography decides which sign, which alphabet, and which community you are communicating with.

Fact Value
ASL users in the United States 500,000 to 2 million
BSL users in the United Kingdom ~150,000
ASL signs in common use 10,000+
Sign languages worldwide More than 300
Year BSL was legally recognised 2003
Vocabulary and grammar ASL and BSL differ even for the same spoken concept (ASL Bloom (ASL learning blog))
ASL’s historical root Closer to French Sign Language than to BSL (Wikipedia (ASL varieties overview))
Manual alphabet ASL: one-handed · BSL: two-handed (One Education (sign language education guide))

How to Say ‘Thank You’ in American Sign Language

ASL’s “thank you” is a single quick gesture made with the dominant hand. It is small, starts at the face, and finishes a few inches in front of you.

Step-by-step guide to the ASL handshape

  • Handshape: keep the dominant hand flat, fingers together, thumb relaxed against the fingers.
  • Starting position: bring the fingertips to the chin. Some signers touch just below the lips — both starting points appear in practice.
  • The movement: glide the hand forward and slightly downward in one smooth motion, exactly how ASL resources describe it (AISA School (ASL learning platform)).
  • Finish: end with the palm facing you or slightly outward, a few inches away from the face.

Keep the motion compact. A big theatrical arc changes the tone from grateful to over-the-top in most ASL conversations.

Common variations and tips

  • Speed and size signal tone: a faster, smaller sign reads as casual; a slower, clearer sign works for formal moments.
  • Add a small nod and a relaxed expression — the face carries the sincerity in ASL conversations.
  • Expect regional variety: ASL has dialects and accents just like spoken languages, so the sign can look slightly different from one community to another (Wikipedia (ASL varieties overview)).
The catch

Hearing learners face a classic mix-up because “good” and “thank you” both begin at the chin in ASL. Rush the sign and you can end up complimenting the other person instead of thanking them.

The implication: the ASL sign is compact and quick, and the politeness is carried by the delivery — the face, the nod, and the size of the movement — as much as by the hand.

How to Say ‘Thank You’ in British Sign Language

BSL’s “thank you” looks related at first glance — same chin start, different destination. That difference matters, because BSL is not ASL spoken with a British accent.

Step-by-step guide to the BSL sign

  • Handshape: flat hand, fingers together, palm facing inward toward the chest.
  • Starting position: place the fingertips on the chin, the same start as the ASL version.
  • The movement: move the hand downward and away from the body in one motion, the movement BSL dictionaries describe for the sign (British Sign (BSL dictionary)).
  • Finish: the hand ends lower than the ASL version, closer to chest height.

Differences from ASL

  • Vocabulary and grammar do not line up between the two languages — ASL and BSL differ in grammar and signing conventions, not only in individual signs (ASL Bloom (ASL learning blog)).
  • BSL grew inside British Deaf communities and schools rather than descending from ASL, which is why the two systems share so little despite similar hand positions.
  • The “thank you” you learn in ASL will not transfer to a BSL conversation, and the reverse is equally true.
Why this matters

A traveler who learns the ASL version and then uses it in London isn’t making a small accent mistake — they’re signing in the wrong language entirely, with different grammar, vocabulary, and alphabet behind it.

What this means: the BSL version is not a variation of the ASL version — it’s a different word in a different language, built by a different community.

Good vs Thank You in ASL: What Is the Difference?

In ASL, “good” and “thank you” are not the same sign, but they start in the same place on the face and finish differently. That is exactly why learners mix them up.

Visual similarity and orientation

  • Good: one hand starts at the chin and moves down, ending palm-up.
  • Thank you: fingertips touch the chin and move forward, away from the body.
  • The difference: direction. “Good” drops into a palm-up position; “thank you” glides forward and slightly down.

How to avoid confusion

  • Watch the ending, not the beginning: palm-up means “good”; forward glide means “thank you.”
  • Slow down. A rushed movement that never leaves the chin turns a thank-you into something closer to “good.”
  • Use the face: a nod and an open expression separate the grateful sign from the approving one in conversation.
The upshot

Beginners should expect to fumble the ending, because the hand position, not the handshape, separates “good” from “thank you” — and a mirror is the cheapest fix.

The trade-off: because both signs start at the chin, the ending position carries the whole meaning. A few inches of movement decide which word you said.

How to Sign Other Common Polite Phrases: Please, Sorry, Hello, You’re Welcome

Once “thank you” is in your hands, the next step is the rest of the politeness set. These four signs are the everyday starters in ASL and BSL.

Please in sign language

  • Open hand, palm facing the chest; circle the hand once or twice over the chest.
  • Pair the movement with an expectant, relaxed face — the sign makes the request, the face sets the tone.

Sorry in sign language

  • A loose fist rubs in a small circle over the chest.
  • The slower the circle, the more sincere the apology reads.

Hello in sign language

  • ASL: a wave, or the hand moving from the forehead outward in a small salute-like motion.
  • BSL: a wave works in most everyday greetings; local and regional variations exist.

You’re welcome in sign language

  • Often mirrors “thank you”: the hand moves forward from the chin, sometimes with a nod.
  • In ASL, some signers use a slightly modified movement or add a smile so the response reads clearly.

The pattern: every polite sign in this set is small, chest- or face-level, and paired with a visible facial expression — politeness in sign language is performed with the whole body.

How to Sign ‘I Love You’ and the Sign Language Alphabet

Two other pieces of ASL culture come up constantly for new learners: the famous ILY gesture and fingerspelling. Both are easier to learn than they look.

The ILY sign combination

  • Combine the ASL handshapes for I, L, and Y: pinky up, index finger up, thumb out to the side.
  • Hold the gesture at chest level or extend it toward someone as a single expression of affection.
  • The ILY sign is one of the most widely recognized ASL gestures beyond the Deaf community.

Fingerspelling the alphabet

  • ASL spells with one hand; BSL spells with two — a quick way to tell the languages apart when watching.
  • Fingerspelling is used for proper names, brands, and words that do not have a dedicated sign.
  • New learners should practice the alphabet early, because fingerspelling is how you ask for a name you do not know yet.

The implication: even the alphabet separates ASL from BSL, a reminder that “sign language” is a family of distinct languages rather than one universal code.

A Five-Minute Practice Routine for the ‘Thank You’ Sign

Muscle memory beats mirror time. This routine works for both ASL and BSL — choose the version that matches your region and repeat it daily.

  1. Check the handshape. Flat hand, fingers together, thumb relaxed. Both ASL and BSL start with the same shape.
  2. Touch the chin. Fingertips meet the chin softly; do not press hard.
  3. Move with intent. ASL: forward and slightly down. BSL: down and away from the body.
  4. Add the face. A small nod and a relaxed expression turn the movement into a sincere thank-you.
  5. Mirror check. Watch the ending position — it decides “good” versus “thank you” in ASL.
  6. Use it. Sign it when someone holds the door, passes the salt, or finishes helping you.

The pattern: consistency beats intensity — five minutes a day will fix the direction and the facial layer faster than one long weekend session.

Confirmed facts

What’s unclear

  • The exact origin of the ASL “thank you” sign is not formally documented.
  • Descriptions of the BSL palm orientation vary across sources: some show the palm inward, others facing the signer.
  • Estimates of ASL users in the United States range from 500,000 to 2 million, reflecting different counting methods.

The sources consulted here make one point repeatedly: the two languages are not the same, and the difference shows at every level — grammar, vocabulary, alphabet.

“British Sign Language is a distinct language used by Deaf communities in the United Kingdom.”

One Education (sign language education guide)

“ASL and BSL also differ in grammar and signing conventions, not only in individual signs.”

ASL Bloom (ASL learning blog)

Strip away the grammar and both languages are trying to do the same thing: show a person that their effort was seen. The catch is that the gesture belongs to a language community, and borrowing the wrong one blurs the message. For a hearing learner in the United States, the decision is clear: practice the ASL version with the forward glide and the nod, or risk thanking someone with the wrong sign in the wrong language. For a learner in the UK, it means leaving the chin-forward ASL version at the border and picking up the BSL drop instead.

Related reading

Additional sources

ukdeafsport.org.uk

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use the ASL sign for “thank you” in the UK?

Not reliably. ASL and BSL are separate languages with different vocabularies and grammar, so most BSL users won’t recognize the ASL sign. In the UK, use the BSL version that starts at the chin and moves down and away.

Is it considered rude to sign “thank you” incorrectly?

The bigger risk is confusion, not offense. In ASL, a chin-start that drops instead of gliding forward can read closer to “good” than “thank you.” Most signers appreciate the effort, but practicing with a dictionary or a fluent signer cuts the risk.

How do you sign “thank you” to a group of people?

Make the same sign with a slightly larger, more sweeping motion, or repeat it while making eye contact around the group. The movement still starts at the chin; only the size and emphasis change.

What is the origin of the ASL sign for “thank you”?

The exact origin of the sign isn’t formally documented. What is documented is that ASL developed in the 19th century with strong French Sign Language influence rather than emerging from British Sign Language, so the sign’s broader lineage reaches across the Atlantic.

How do babies learn the sign for “thank you”?

The same way they learn spoken words: repeated exposure in context. When a parent signs “thank you” every time a child hands them something, the child starts connecting the gesture with the moment. The flat-hand-to-chin movement is easy for small hands to approximate, which is why baby-sign guides include it.

Are there regional variations of the “thank you” sign in ASL?

Yes. ASL has regional varieties just as spoken language has accents and dialects, and Black American Sign Language is a recognized variety with its own features, including a larger signing space in some communities (Wikipedia (Black American Sign Language overview)). The core “thank you” sign stays recognizable, but the details can shift by region and community.