A1thirst
Feeling a need or desire to drink
100% Free, Forever - Deaf-First BSL Platform
Learn British Sign Language,
One Sign at a Time
The most complete BSL dictionary online - with videos, handshape guides, and AI-powered learning notes. New signs added every week for our community. Free for everyone.
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Today's Sign
Sign of the Day
A new sign every day - bookmark it, practise it, remember it.
A1
Wednesday, 14 October
live
Verb
To exist, to be alive
Watch & LearnAlways Growing
Recently Added Signs
New signs added every week - from everyday greetings to specialist vocabulary.
A1
A1ask
To request information, permission, or clarification
A1green
The color between blue and yellow in the spectrum
A1forget
To lose memory of something; fail to recall
A2interest
To attract or hold attention; to engage curiosity
A1take
To grasp and move an object from one place to another
A1👐lesson
A period of instruction or learning
A2👐exchange
To give and receive something, trade reciprocally
A2return
To come or go back to a place, person, or previous state
A1free
Not confined or restricted; available without cost
A2👐volleyball
A team sport where players hit a ball over a net with their hands
A1call
To communicate or summon someone using a verbal or technological method
📚 Full BSL Dictionary
The most complete
BSL dictionary online
Search, filter by category, difficulty or handshape. Every sign has a video, AI-written guide, and CEFR rating. All free.
Explore All Signs →New signs added every week · Free forever · Growing every day
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Explore by Category
From everyday greetings to specialist vocabulary - find exactly the signs you need.
Your Learning Journey
Six Levels, One Clear Path
SignDeaf uses the international CEFR framework so you always know exactly where you are and what to learn next.
A1
Absolute Beginner
Your first BSL signs - greetings, yes/no, numbers 1–10, basic responses.
Browse A1 signs
C1
Upper Intermediate
Fluent signing - abstract concepts, idioms, professional contexts.
Browse C1 signsSimple & Effective
How SignDeaf Works
Three steps from complete beginner to confident BSL signer.
Search or Browse
Find any BSL sign by name, category, or browse the full A–Z dictionary. Filter by difficulty to match your level.
Watch & Learn
Watch the HD video, slow it down, read the handshape guide, and study AI-written usage notes with cultural context.
Practise & Track
Mark signs as learned, track your progress through CEFR levels, and earn achievement badges as your vocabulary grows.
💙 100% Free. Forever.
Everything on SignDeaf is free - for everyone
No plans. No paywalls. No premium tier. The full dictionary, Smart Practice, progress tracking, achievements, quizzes and every guide are open to every learner, today and always.
One mission
To help Deaf people - and the parents, teachers, colleagues and friends who want to communicate with them. Access to a language should never depend on money.
Built with enormous care
Hundreds of signs filmed and described, a spaced-repetition engine, progress systems, quizzes, a mirror studio, long-form guides and accessibility work - thousands of hours, given away.
Nothing to unlock
There is no locked version of SignDeaf. A free account exists only so your streaks, XP and saved signs can follow you between devices.
- 526+signs, all open
- 0paywalls
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- 1mission: help Deaf people
FAQs
Everything You Need to Know
Questions about BSL, our dictionary, and how SignDeaf works.
British Sign Language (BSL) is the first or preferred language of over 150,000 Deaf people in the UK. It is a complete, natural language with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary - not a signed version of English. BSL uses handshapes, movement, location, facial expressions, and body language to communicate meaning.
BSL was officially recognised as a language by the UK Government in 2003, and achieved full legal recognition under the British Sign Language Act 2022.
No. BSL (British Sign Language) and ASL (American Sign Language) are entirely different languages, despite both being used in English-speaking countries. BSL uses a two-handed manual alphabet, while ASL is one-handed. They have different grammar, vocabulary, and regional dialects.
Other related systems include ISL (Irish Sign Language) and Makaton (a communication support system, not a full language). SignDeaf focuses primarily on BSL.
Yes - all of it. SignDeaf is completely free: the full BSL dictionary, Smart Practice, progress tracking, achievements, quizzes, the Mirror Studio and every guide. Every sign page includes a video demonstration, handshape guide, CEFR difficulty rating, usage notes and learning tips. New signs are added every week. There is no premium tier and no card is ever asked for - a free account exists only so your progress can follow you.
Reaching conversational BSL (roughly B1 level) typically takes 6–12 months of regular practice. Your first 100 signs can be learned in a few weeks. The key is consistency - even 10–15 minutes per day makes a significant difference. SignDeaf's CEFR-graded dictionary helps you track exactly where you are on your journey from A1 to C2.
SignDeaf covers all six CEFR levels from A1 (Absolute Beginner) to C2 (Advanced). Each sign is tagged with its CEFR level so you can filter the BSL dictionary to match your current ability. Start with A1 greetings and everyday vocabulary, then progress through B1 conversational signs to C2 specialist and professional vocabulary.
Both - but the Deaf community comes first. SignDeaf was built from the ground up as a Deaf-first platform. The dictionary includes cultural notes, Deaf community context, and regional BSL variations. Deaf users can use it as a reference dictionary. Hearing learners - parents of Deaf children, interpreters in training, social workers, healthcare professionals - can use it as a structured learning resource.
SignDeaf is 100% free, forever, for everyone - no plans, no paywalls, no premium tier, and nothing to upgrade to. An enormous amount of time, money and care went into building it, and we give it away because we have one mission: to help Deaf people and everyone who wants to communicate with them. The only thing we ask is that you use it, share it, and treat it with respect. Read why SignDeaf is free.
Join the Deaf-first
learning community
Free forever. No credit card. Start with your first sign in under a minute and join thousands already learning BSL on SignDeaf.
✓ Free dictionary access
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✓ Deaf-first platform
✓ New signs added every week
Learn British Sign Language Online - Free & Accessible
SignDeaf is the UK's most comprehensive free British Sign Language (BSL) dictionary and learning platform. Every sign in our dictionary includes a video demonstration, step-by-step handshape instructions, CEFR difficulty rating, cultural notes, AI-written usage tips, and example sentences. Whether you are a complete beginner starting with the BSL alphabet or an advanced learner building specialist vocabulary, SignDeaf has everything you need.
Why Learn BSL?
British Sign Language is the first language of over 150,000 Deaf people in the UK. Learning BSL opens doors to a rich culture, enables you to communicate with Deaf colleagues, friends, and family, and is increasingly valued in healthcare, education, and social care professions. The UK BSL Act 2022 formally recognised BSL as a language of the United Kingdom.
How Our Dictionary Works
Our BSL dictionary contains a growing collection of signs across 5 categories. Each sign is tagged with a CEFR level (A1–C2), frequency rating (Very Common to Rare), and category tags so you can browse by topic. Use the alphabet navigator for A–Z browsing or the search bar to find any sign instantly. All content is free - no paywall, no time limit.