Signing Savvy, Your Sign Language Resource

This article is part of our “Signs That Are Close... But Not the Same” series, which highlights signs that look similar, but have different meanings.

The ASL signs shown below look similar, but are not the same. There are many ASL signs that when produced look similar, but in fact have a completely different meaning. Below you will find examples of such signs. Watch closely to see if you can see the differences. In addition, watch my eyebrows, look to see when I tilt my head or lean my body in a certain way, even what my mouth is doing. These nuances are called inflections and trust me, inflections matter.

These examples are all signs related to colors.

1. Color vs. Colorful vs. Warm vs. Hot (as in spicy)

The signs COLOR, COLORFUL, WARM, and HOT (as in spicy) are all signed near the mouth and use what looks like the 5 handshape (although it is actually the C handshape when signing HOT).

• COLOR: The hand remains stationary and the fingers wiggle.
• COLORFUL: The hand moves back and forth away and toward the face with fingers stationary.
• WARM: The hand starts the flat O handshape then moves forward and opens into the 5 handshape. Think of the temperature that comes out of your mouth...it's warm.
• HOT (as in spicy): The C handshape moves out and away from the mouth three times. Think of flames shooting out of your mouth.

2. Red vs. Pink vs. Metal vs. Garbage

The signs for RED, PINK, METAL, and GARBAGE all start with the index finger of the dominant hand close to the mouth or chin. Note the differences in the shape of the hand and motion of the finger.

• RED: The index finger starts at the lips and pulls straight down two times. Think of RED lipstick on your lips.
• PINK: Dominant hand is in the P handshape with palm facing inward. The extended middle finger touches the chin and pulls down the chin two times. Think of the first letter of the word PINK. Think of PINK lipstick on your lips.
• METAL: The index finger is curved in the X handshape and taps the teeth. The gesture reminds you that METAL is hard.
• GARBAGE: The dominant hand is in the X handshape with the palm facing sideways. The index finger moves outward, grazing the bottom of the chin two times. Think of spitting something out of your mouth and throwing it away.

3. Brown vs. Tan

BROWN and TAN have a similar hand movement, but different handshapes.

• BROWN: Dominant hand is in the B handshape, palm facing sideways, and brushes down the dominant cheek two times. Think of B for BROWN.
• TAN: Dominant hand is in the T handshape. The palm faces sideways and slides down the dominant cheek in one motion. Think of T for TAN.

4. Gray vs. Doesn't Matter

GRAY and DOESN'T MATTER both use two hands in the open 5 handshape with hands sideways, palms facing the body and fingers pointed toward each other. Both signs also use the same motion. The difference is in the distance between the hands.

• GRAY: Hands are slightly overlapped and brush back and forth in opposite movements through one another. Think of GRAY as the color that DOESN'T MATTER, since the signs are so similar.
• DOESN'T MATTER: Hands are not overlapped, and brush back and forth two times with the fingertips hitting each other. The gesture implies it's no big deal.

How can I figure out the difference between signs on my own?

If you see two signs that look close, but not the same, and you’re not sure, you may use Signing Savvy features to help you figure out the difference. All of our signs have sign descriptions and memory aids that members may access. Reading the sign description and memory aids for the signs will help you figure out the small differences between them that your eyes don’t catch at first. We also recommend using the pause and slow motion feature to slow down the video, so you may take a closer look. These features are available to Signing Savvy members.