The best apps to learn American Sign Language feature high-quality video content and interactive components to score sign correctness. Some of the best apps for learning ASL include Rocket ASL, The ASL App, ACE ASL, and Italki.
Did you know that almost a million people use American Sign Language? While ASL is not the only form of sign language used globally, it is the primary signing language in the United States and Canada. Learning this visual language will help you communicate with thousands of differently-abled people in your community!
10 Best Apps to Learn American Sign Language
American Sign Language is a beautiful, visual language that consists of hand signs, hand spelling, and a lot of context delivered via facial expression and body language. ASL also features a unique grammatical structure that you will focus on once you get past beginner vocabulary.
The ten best apps to help you learn ASL focus on different techniques to speed up your understanding of sign language. Some hone in on vocabulary, or on hand spelling, Others focus more on helping you learn the body language that is an important part of ASL communication.
Some apps even offer you access to professional tutors or ways to connect with conversation partners. In many cases, you may find that you want to use more than one app, or an app paired with additional resources.
You should note that these apps primarily focus on American Sign Language. If you like to travel, you may also want to learn British Sign Language/BSL for conversing with deaf communities in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, or Chinese Sign Language/CSL if you plan to visit Asia.
1) ACE ASL
The biggest advantage of the ACE ASL app is that it uses an AI component to provide feedback as you test out new signs. You use a camera feature within the app, and the AI lets you know if you completed a sign correctly or not!
Each lesson consists of a short video taught by a deaf American Sign Language native. After you complete the lessons, you take quick quizzes to test your knowledge. The app works great for people who prefer to learn on their own, and you will find it easy to schedule brief lessons and quizzes into your day for consistent learning.
If you like Duolingo, you may enjoy the short, fun design of the lessons and activities in this app. (Duolingo does not yet offer an ASL course, in case you wanted to know!).
That said, ACE ASL does focus primarily on fingerspelling and some core vocabulary. You may find that you need additional resources for conversation, grammar, and body language.
ACE ASL has a subscription of either $3.99/month or $9.99/year.
2) The ASL App
The ASL app comes from Ink & Salt, a deaf-owned company that created this app as a tool to build communication between deaf and hearing communities. The ASL App uses a flashcard method to teach over 2,500 key signs.
As you learn a new sign, you will view a brief video clip of the sign. You can speed up or slow down the videos as your skill advances. One of the cool navigational features in the app is that you can save lists of signs you learn–perhaps you want to save a list of greeting signs, for example, or animal names.
The downside to this great starter app is that you will not get any conversation practice or feedback on your signs because the app does not link you with conversation partners or tutors, or use any type of AI for feedback. But you can easily build core vocabulary in your downtime just by practicing a few minutes with the ASL app each day!
You can download the ASL app for free, but you will have to commit to a one-time in-app purchase of $9.99 to fully access all the features.
3) Rocket ASL
If you want a comprehensive course on American Sign Language that covers everything you might learn in a classroom setting, you need to try the Rocket ASL app.
Unlike many apps that focus on quickly teaching tons of vocabulary, Rocket ASL goes through an entire language program including a focus on grammar, vocabulary, situational language distinctions, and information on deaf culture in America.
Each lesson includes informative videos as well as written material. Lessons also include video flashcards to help you master new signs. You then take a quiz with multiple-choice answers where you can pick the correct sign. If you need to find a particular sign, the app includes a signing dictionary, as well. The app features 30 of these comprehensive lessons.
But unlike many of its spoken language apps, Rocket’s ASL app does not feature an AI component to provide feedback on your signs. It also has a high one-time payment of $99 rather than a low monthly subscription.
4) Italki
If you want to focus on immersive learning and actually using your new American Sign Language skills, you may want to try Italki. Italki has a unique setup for a language app. It operates like a community forum to connect you with other learners, and to help you find and hire a tutor.
The app features hundreds of potential ASL tutors. You pick one with a bio you like and then schedule lessons at your convenience. The many tutors available make it easy to find someone who can work with your schedule.
Virtual tutoring sessions provide an incredibly valuable way to practice signing in real-life conversations. Practicing your signs with an AI-powered app will definitely help you correctly learn signs, but practicing with real-time personal feedback and support from a tutor will give you even more confidence!
The app itself is free, but Italki tutors charge extremely varied rates. You will quickly notice that tutors charge varying rates. You might pay as little as $5 for a half-hour lesson with one tutor, or as much as $50 for an hour-long lesson with another tutor!
5) Hands-on ASL
Hands-On ASL uses 3D models to teach hand spelling for thousands of words. This unique tool for practicing ASL vocabulary has no video lessons or AI feedback, but it does help you quickly master American Sign Language spelling. After viewing the model for spelling a word, you can access a quiz to test your knowledge.
One of the reasons this app may prove valuable to you is that ASL does commonly use hand spelling, or spelling out a word one letter at a time, in many situations. You commonly spell place names, for example. Plus, any word that does not have an official sign in ASL often gets spelled out, too.
The downside to this cool app is that it is only available for iOS users. Also, while you can download it free, you will face in-app purchases to access quizzes and get rid of ads.
In fact, one thing you may dislike about the app is that you have to make an in-app purchase to change the color of the 3D model hands. Should you have to pay in order to see your own skin tone reflected in your learning tool? You will have to decide for yourself.
5) Pocket Sign
Pocket Sign goes beyond a standard flashcard-style method of learning vocabulary by providing tips to help you categorize and remember each new sign you master. This handy app makes a great auxiliary resource to use in addition to an ASL class or a more comprehensive app-based course.
Pocket Sign also has a gamified feel as you can earn rewards for learning new signs. If you like the dopamine rush of quick rewards found in apps like Duolingo, you may enjoy Pocket Sign as well.
Within the app, you can access over 100 lessons and over 10,000 signs! The lessons group similar types of signs together, such as food signs, greeting signs, and so on. This also helps you more easily remember an individual sign, as you can mentally group it with similar signs as you learn.
You can check out a two-week free trial of Pocket Sign, or subscribe for $5.99/month.
6) Baby Sign Language: ASL Kids
You or your child may want to learn ASL for many reasons, and the Baby Sign Language ASL for Kids app provides a child-friendly interface perfect for your family! This unique app features child presenters ages 1-12 who model signs in fun, short, video lessons.
After the lesson, cartoon-style flashcards help you or your little one memorize new signs. You can also take quizzes to test your knowledge after a lesson.
Parents of an infant may want to learn simple signs to enable pre-verbal communication. Families with one deaf and one hearing child may want to help their hearing child learn signs. Or perhaps your fifth grader met a deaf friend and wants to learn how to talk with him or her.
Whatever your circumstance, you will notice that many ASL resources target an adult audience. One of the best things about ASL Kids is that it specifically targets young learners.
The simplicity of the app works well for young learners, but would not make the best choice for an adult. It focuses primarily on introducing kids to core vocabulary and basic signs, with no tutors or AI interface to provide feedback on signs.
The app has a one-time charge of just under $4 to unlock all its features. You do not have to pay a subscription, and it does not include pop-up ads.
7) Sign Language for Beginners
Sign Language for Beginners uses a flashcard structure to teach thousands of signs. Another cool feature of this app is that it teaches both ASL and BSL, making it a good choice if you plan to travel.
In the app, you learn signs through both illustrations and videos, grouped in nicely organized thematic lessons featuring similar signs. While this does make a great tool to introduce a beginner to core signs like the alphabet, numbers, and thousands of words, it can also serve as a great database of signs you can reference later on in your studies.
The app is free to download.
8) SignSchool
Sign School offers a tailored approach to learning American Sign Language. When you begin the free program, you can select whether you want to learn informal ASL for family or non-professional settings, or more formal ASL to use in the workplace. The app features brief video lessons followed by interactive activities and quizzes
Once you register through the app, you receive a “sign of the day” to boost your learning. You can also access a signing dictionary for reference, and circle back to review games to keep your knowledge fresh.
As a totally free app, SignSchool offers a lot for a beginner. You can get a handle on core signs and start to learn how to communicate in your chosen setting. However, the app does not offer any type of feedback or connect you with a conversation partner.
9) Intersign ASL
Intersign ASL is another totally free app that features video lessons, interactive activities and quizzes, and even an interactive feedback feature run through the camera on your phone. The app has a modern style set up to fit into your daily activities, with quick video lessons and activities you can tackle as time allows.
Another great feature of Intersign is that it connects you to an online forum of fellow users. This can help you solve problems and answer questions, or even connect with another learner virtually for conversation practice!
The only catch with this excellent free app for beginner ASL learners is that it does feature annoying ads. If you do not want to deal with ads, you can choose to pay a subscription of $6.99/month.
Tips for Using an App to Learn ASL
Once you pick the app that sounds right for you, check out the top five tips for how to use your American Sign Language app to boost your fluency!
Consistency
Find a way to use your ASL app every day. Consistency is key in any language-learning setting, but in this area, you need to train both your brain and your body to establish your new fluency. Consistent practice will help you remember new signs and will also help you establish muscle memory as you repeat the signs physically every day.
Core Vocabulary
As you begin, focusing on key signs will help you build toward fluency much faster than trying to memorize a thousand new signs in the first month. Most apps will start you off with the alphabet, and then with essentials like greetings and directions.
As you progress in your studies, you will keep learning more and more signs, of course! But avoid the temptation to try to dive into a vast database of signs right away. Build up and consistently practice your core vocabulary first. This way, you can get out there and start conversing right away!
Conversation
This leads to tip #3: conversation is crucial to developing real fluency in ASL. Depending on which app you use, you may find built-in conversation opportunities like conversing with a tutor in Italki or finding a conversation partner via an online forum in some of the other apps listed in this article.
Practicing signs in-app is great–especially if you use an app that provides feedback through your phone’s camera! But there is really no substitute for actually signing through a conversation, forming not just words but whole sentences with your new linguistic skills.
Practice All Day
OK, you may not actually have the freedom to practice your signs all day. But you can look for crumbs of spare time to practice signing throughout the day. For example, run through the alphabet while you’re stopped at a red light. Or try out one-handed signs while you stir your dinner on the stovetop in the evening.
Looking for extra moments to practice your signs, on top of your daily in-app lesson, will help boost your fluency because it will help you retain the signs much more quickly.
Transition to Real Life
Finally, you also want to think about how the lessons you learn in the app will translate to real life. Some apps like Rocket ASL provide not just vocabulary, but also training in deaf culture and the polite way to use the signs you learn.
For example, it is not considered rude to maintain eye contact while conversing with a deaf person–at least in many settings. It’s a good idea to use an app that can provide training in deaf etiquette and culture as well as in signing
But don’t worry too much about getting it wrong. As a language learner, you will usually find your conversation partners very forgiving when you venture out into the real world!
FAQs about using apps to learn ASL
Is There a Free Way to Learn ASL?
You can learn ASL for free in many ways including checking out apps like SignSchool or Intersign. Other great ways to start learning ASL for free include looking for free programs at your local community college or public library.
If you want a comprehensive course, look for free online programs and resources like ASL University. While a tad outdated in appearance, this remains one of the staples of free ASL resources and is great for beginners.
Keep in mind that one of the benefits of paying for a class or a tutor is that you can get more personalized feedback on your signing. This is also one of the best ways to learn how to use facial cues and body language as you sign. But free apps or a free introductory in-person seminar will get you a foundation in the basics of ASL.
What is the Easiest Way to Learn ASL?
The easiest way for many people to learn ASL is to sign up for a course, either in person or online. Taking a course helps you approach ASL in a structured manner, while also receiving feedback and hopefully getting plenty of chances to practice your new skills.
Apps that offer a comprehensive approach to American Sign Language like Rocket ASL provide this structured learning method as well.
Immersing yourself in ASL is also a great way to easily build your fluency. Try visiting a deaf cafe once a week or watch YouTube videos featuring deaf presenters every morning while you eat breakfast.
Is There a Sign Language App Translator?
You can find several apps that translate either text or spoken words into signs! This is a fantastic tool if you don’t yet have the fluency you need to converse with a deaf person. The most popular sign language app translator is Hand Talk. Older web-based translators like WeCapable can also help.