Just as spoken words have rules for pronunciation, so signed languages have rules for the correct formation of words. If you bend or break these rules you change the meaning of the words.

In American Sign Language, we call these particular rules the ‘Parameters of Sign.’ These are:
1. Movement
2. Location
3. Palm Orientation
4. Non-Manual Markers, and
5. Space

I was taught a handy mnemonic to remember these: ‘Mother Loves Plants with No More Spiders.’

I’m going to use the word NICE* as a base sign to demonstrate how changing any of these parameters (even just one) changes the meaning of what you’re signing.

The sign NICE has specific movement, location, palm orientation, non-manual markers and space that give it meaning.

The word NICE in ASL is made by sweeping one palm against the other one time from wrist to fingertips.
If we change the movement to a repeated motion, the word becomes CLEAN. 
     ~I clean my room.

By changing the location of the word CLEAN, we can change the meaning again.
     ~I am cleaning. 
     ~I clean my whole house.
Either of these can be indicated by moving around the sign CLEAN.

Going back to the base sign of NICE, if we change the palm orientation and movement to palm up brushing from fingertips to wrist, we now have the word NEW. Or clapping palm to palm gives you the word SCHOOL.

Signing the word CLEAN with raised eyebrows, as opposed to a neutral face, changes the sentence to a question.
     ~Did you clean your room?

Finally, space. Really, all of the above examples include changes in the use of space. In a visual-spatial language, it’s impossible to communicate without using space.

It’s important to pay attention to these parameters as you learn new vocabulary in ASL. It will become more important as you learn more complicated vocabulary and words that are similar to signs you already know.



*A word in all caps is a translation of an ASL sign called a gloss. It’s difficult to accurately convey ASL in written English.