ASL Mouth Morphemes
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language that uses facial expressions and mouth movements, known as mouth morphemes, to convey meaning beyond hand signs alone. Mouth morphemes are silent shapes formed with the mouth that modify a sign’s meaning by adding detail, emphasis, or context. These morphemes aren’t spoken words but specific mouth movements that align with particular ASL signs.
For instance, puffed cheeks often indicate something large, such as in “CHA” when referring to a big object, while a tight, small mouth shape, as in “OO,” might show something is very small or close.
Large (CHA)
Small (OO)
Mouth morphemes are essential because they add layers of information to ASL, making it more descriptive and precise. They can communicate size, distance, intensity, or even the manner of an action. For example, signing “FAR” with the “AAH” mouth morpheme emphasizes distance, giving the viewer a clearer picture of how far something is. These subtle details enhance ASL’s expressive range, allowing signers to convey complex ideas and vivid imagery without additional signs.
List of ASL Mouth Morphemes
This list provides common and practical ASL mouth morphemes to help learners understand how specific mouth shapes enhance meaning in American Sign Language. Each entry describes a mouth morpheme and its corresponding meaning, illustrating how these expressions add clarity, intensity, or detail to signs. PDF available to download below. Click Here
MM: moderately, normally, average, medium; with ease.
OO: small, tiny, lightly, slowly. It may mean otherwise in some contexts (e.g. very long in time as in Y- LONG-head).
CHA: very big, very large, gigantic, very tall. AAH: far.
CS: very close; with effort or struggle.
TH: carelessly, foolishly, distractedly; melting. E.g.: melting (eg. snow, ice, chocolate), nothing (in some contexts), sticky as in glue (sometimes), sloppy, careless (in some contexts).
PUFF-cheek: fluffy, bubbly, and few other meanings. Seen in HOLD-BACK-LAUGHTER, SHORT-AND- SWEET-CUTE, etc.
Puckered lips: leisurely, deliberately
- Puckered lips “mmmm”: enjoy doing something, curious, medium sized, comfortable, write, drive, read
- Puckered lips with “awful” sign-interesting, wow
- Pursed lips-work hard, read carefully, sorry, hearing person, persevere, secret, suspect, suppress
- Pursed lips + wiggling-characteristic, the way it is
STA-STA: struggle, long process
FOR-FOR: what for, why, how come
PAH: finally, big success
SOO: tired, cold, dirty, hard, good, close call, tedious, curious
SOW: very tired, very cold, very hard, very embarrassed FISH: finish, stop it
FI^SH: finish after long or unpleasant process PUH: give in
POW: explode, hit hard, trigger a gun, repress, hot temper, stricken, forget
Lips pulled down to one side: recent, not long ago
Lips pulled down with twinged nose-near: soon
Lips pulled down-can: possible
MUM-MUM: winning streak (games), nab many suspects
PS-PS: fancy, chic
PO: competent, good, smart
PO PO: speed boat in a race, cannon
PTH: melt, smash
Tongue out and down: experience, expert
OFF: take down, take off, remove, break up M-M-M: interesting, “oh I see”
EEK: hate, despise, yuck
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