What does ASL stand for? In nearly every setting it is short for American Sign Language, the visual language used by many Deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States and parts of Canada. It is a full language, with its own grammar and vocabulary, expressed through handshapes, movement, facial expression and body position.
Online, the letters picked up a separate job. In early chat rooms, "asl?" was a quick way to ask a stranger for their age, sex and location. On maps and in science, ASL can also mean above sea level. The setting usually makes the right meaning obvious.
Quick facts
Stands for
American Sign LanguageIn text
Age, sex, location (old chat slang)On maps
Above sea levelType
Initialism, said A S LUsed in
Schools, Deaf communities, interpreting, course catalogsNot to be confused with
ALS, a nerve disease; signed English
ASL meanings ranked by how often you see them
- American Sign Language. The main meaning in schools, job listings, news, college courses and everyday talk.
- Age, sex, location. Chat room slang, mostly from the early days of online messaging. You rarely see it now.
- Above sea level. Used for elevation, as in "the town sits 2,000 feet ASL."
| Setting | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| School or job | American Sign Language | "Spanish or ASL for your language credit" |
| Chat message | Age, sex, location | "hey, asl?" |
| Hiking map, pilot chart | Above sea level | "Summit: 4,100 ft ASL" |
American Sign Language in brief
ASL is not English spelled out on the hands. It has its own word order, its own ways of showing tense and its own rules for questions. Raised eyebrows can turn a statement into a yes or no question, and the space in front of the signer is used to place people and things in a story. Fingerspelling, where each letter of a word gets a handshape, fills in names and terms without a sign.
Sign languages are not universal. British Sign Language, for example, is a separate language, and an ASL signer and a BSL signer would not automatically understand each other. ASL has historic ties to French Sign Language, which came to the United States with teachers in the early 1800s. The first permanent American school for deaf students opened in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1817.
Where you meet ASL in daily life
- School: many high schools and colleges accept ASL as a world language credit.
- Public events: an interpreter stands near the speaker at press briefings, concerts or graduations.
- Jobs: listings may ask for "ASL fluency" for teaching, interpreting or social work roles.
- Family life: some hearing parents learn ASL to talk with a Deaf child, and children of Deaf adults often grow up bilingual.
On a course sign up sheet: "ASL I meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. No experience needed." This is a beginning American Sign Language class, not a chat or map term.
Laws such as the ADA require many services to communicate effectively with people who are deaf, which is one reason you see more interpreters at public events.
What does ASL stand for in text?
Typed into a chat window, "asl" is a question that means "what is your age, sex and location?" It became common in early internet chat rooms, where strangers wanted a quick sketch of who they were talking to. A typical reply looked like "17/f/Ohio."
Today the slang feels dated, and it can also be a warning sign. Sharing your age and location with a stranger online is risky, especially for young people. If someone you do not know sends "asl?", it is fine not to answer.
Some younger writers also use "asl" to mean "as hell," as in "tired asl." That use is casual and a bit crude, so keep it out of school or work messages. For other shorthand used in messaging, see SMS.
Saying and writing the ASL abbreviation
Spoken aloud, it is "A S L," which places it in the letter by letter family. On paper, keep the three capitals together and leave out periods. Because the A is said "ay," it takes "an" before it: "an ASL class," "an ASL interpreter."
Many style guides capitalize Deaf when it refers to the cultural community that uses ASL, and use lowercase deaf for the hearing condition. You will see both in articles, and the choice usually follows that meaning. Read more about the letter by letter group in our guide to acronyms and abbreviations.
ASL, ALS and other look-alikes
- ALS is a disease that affects nerve cells controlling muscles. The letters are swapped, and the meaning is completely different.
- Signed English systems follow English word order sign by sign. They are teaching tools, not the same as ASL.
- MSL means mean sea level, close to the map use of ASL.
For more everyday letters that cause double takes, browse our famous acronyms page.
Questions people ask
What does ASL stand for in text messages?
In old chat slang it means age, sex, location, a question asked to strangers. Some people now also use it to mean as hell. Neither is used in formal writing.
Is ASL a real language?
Yes. ASL has its own grammar, vocabulary and regional accents, and linguists study it as a full natural language.
Is ASL the same around the world?
No. Many countries have their own sign languages, such as British Sign Language. ASL is mainly used in the United States and parts of Canada.
Is ASL an acronym?
Casual speakers say acronym, and that is understood. A stickler would note that the letters are voiced separately, so initialism is the precise term.
What does ASL mean on a map?
It means above sea level. A peak marked 9,000 ft ASL rises 9,000 feet above the level of the sea.