| Symbols | Descriptions | Examples from Hong Kong Sign Language | Examples from American Sign Language (listed in Stokoe et al. 1965) |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Compact hand, fist; may be like ‘a’, ‘s’, or ‘t’ of manual alphabet | OLD | ANOTHER |
 | Flat hand | TRY | MIRROR |
 | Spread hand; fingers and thumb spread like ‘5’ of manual numeration | CAT | SO-SO |
 | Curved hand; may be like ‘c’ or more open | CUP | PEPPER |
 | Contracted hand; like ‘e’ or more open | TIGER | EASTER |
 | “three-ring” hand; from spread hand, thumb and index finger touch or cross. | POOR | FRIDAY |
 | Index hand; like ‘g’ or sometimes like ‘d’; index finger points from fist. | SOUR | DREAM |
 | Index and second finger, side by side, extended | DIRECTOR | CANDY |
 | “pinkie” hand; little finger extended from compact hand | DEAF | INDEPENDENT |
 | Like G except that thumb touches middle phalanx of second finger; like ‘k’ and ‘p’ of manual alphabet. | BORROW | PINK |
 | Angle hand; thumb, index finger in right angle, other fingers usually bent into palm | FAR AWAY | LEMON |
 | “cock” hand; thumb and first two fingers spread, like ‘3’ of manual numeration in American Sign Language | GOVERNMENT | AWKWARD |
 | Tapered hand; fingers curved and squeezed together over thumb; may be like ‘o’ of manual alphabet | TELESCOPE | NOTHING |
 | “warding off” hand; second finger crossed over index finger, like ‘r’ of manual alphabet | SECRET | RESTAURANT |
 | “victory” hand; index and second fingers extended and spread apart | SCISSORS | SEE |
 | Three-finger hand; thumb and little finger touch, others extended spread. | FORK | WATER |
 | Hook hand; index finger bent in hook form fist, thumb tip may touch fingertip | CLEAR THE DISH | FOOL |
 | “horns” hand; thumb and little finger spread out extended from fist; or index finger and little finger extended, parallel | TRY | MISTAKE |
 | (allocheric variant of Y); second finger bent in from spread hand, thumb may touch fingertip | DETEST | DELICIOUS |
