50 ASL Flashcards Printable PDF (Common ASL Words)

Maybe it’s because my kids are teens and tweens now, but I feel like I don’t hear as many parents talking about sign language anymore.

When they were babies and toddlers, it was a trend to teach sign language words to all babies, not just those with hearing or other impairments.

Sign Language Words

Many people don’t know this, but ASL, or American Sign Language, is the 4th most common language used here in the USA. It’s also becoming increasingly common for parents to use sign language with babies and toddlers before they have verbal words.

We used sign language with Kevin as a baby and toddler and still use a few words. And when Brian was a baby, he independently began using signs just from watching us with Kevin. He knew “more” and “done” without us ever actively teaching it to him.

We knew that Kevin’s verbal expressive language would be slow to develop, and he was able to develop a few signs as a baby. Then, when we were using them with him, Brian picked them up on his own just by observing us with Kevin.

He used signs for ‘more’ and ‘eat’ and ‘I want’ before he could walk or talk.

Now that I have had both boys home for six months and no end on the horizon, we are emphasizing sign language again with Kevin. We are using his PECS pictures too, but they are not always readily available.

So it’s back to basics for us. He’s pretty good at “more” and “finished/all done” but I wanted to have something handy for other basic words and concepts. When learning sign language, many people learn the alphabet and then finger-spell the words. But that would require the signer to know how to spell, which isn’t always easy with students and young children.

Common Sign Language Words

I am including multiple PDFs in this post so you can choose which ASL words you want to work on.

The sign language words that are included in these sign language flashcard PDFs are:

1. all done/finished
2. don’t
3. eat
4. friends
5. help
6. hello
7. hungry
8. like
9. me
10. more
11. no
12. play
13. please
14. stop
15. thank you
16. toilet
17. want
18. water
19. what
20. when
21. where
22. who
23. why
24. yes
25. you

I have both a color version of these ASL flash cards and black and white sign language flash cards.

As always, connect with your child’s team before implementing any new programs. Many kids with learning disabilities struggle with the “W” questions and words, so I wouldn’t necessarily start with those until your child is ready. These printable sign language cards can be used with all ages, including baby sign language.

Common ASL Words

The free PDFs in this post have common words in sign language. They are on a worksheet so that the person can learn the signs, and also see the word and possibly learn it as a sight word. You can also encourage fine motor skills with writing, coloring, and tracing with your finger.

When getting started in American sign language, many people want to learn common words and especially words and gestures associated with everyday interactions and greetings.

Some examples:

• How to Say Thank You in sign language
• How to say please in sign language
• How to Say Hello in Sign Language
• The 5 W words in sign language– what, when, where, who, why

Other common ASL words included in these free printable worksheets are done, no, and stop.

It can be a great way for your child to communicate their basic needs and wants if they do not have a spoken language.

Sign Language Flashcards-Color

Sign Language Flashcards-Black and White

Happy Signing!