How to sign
Silent Applause in ASL
Silent Applause is a deaf world basics phrase in American Sign Language. Watch the clip, then sign it along with the video.
- Phrase
- Deaf World Basics
How to sign silent applause
- 1
Watch the clip once at full speed, then once at half speed. Notice the handshape, where the sign sits, and the direction the hand moves.
- 2
Sign silent applause along with the video. Keep your hand where the signer keeps it; moving a sign up, down, or off to the side can change its meaning.
- 3
Add the face. Even a plain vocabulary sign reads better with natural eye contact and an expression that matches the context.
Common mistakes
- Pausing between each sign. Treat the phrase as one unit with one rhythm.
- Mouthing the full English sentence while you sign. Mouth the ASL gloss or keep your lips relaxed; ASL is its own language, not English on the hands.
- Signing too low or too far from the body. Keep your signing space between your chest and your chin where it is easy to see.
Questions about “Silent Applause”
"Silent Applause" is signed as a single unit in ASL rather than word-for-word from English.
Guide
Deaf Culture
What every hearing beginner should know before their first signed conversation: Deaf with a capital D, name signs, eye contact, interpreters, and the signs for all of it.
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