British Sign Language (BSL)
- A language in its own right
- Has its own grammar and vocabulary
- Uses the hands, face, body and signing space
- Used by Deaf communities across the UK
A quick introduction
What is British Sign Language?
British Sign Language (BSL) is a visual language used principally by Deaf people and signing communities across the UK. It has its own grammar and vocabulary, and varies by region and generation. BSL is distinct from English and is expressed through movements of the hands, face and body.
BSL is used in Northern Ireland alongside Irish Sign Language (ISL), which is a separate language.
New to BSL? Start with a few useful signs and the fingerspelling alphabet, then explore how the hands, face and body work together to create meaning.
- A language in its own rightWith its own grammar and vocabulary
- Expressed visuallyThrough the hands, face and body
- Varies across the UKWith regional and generational differences
How BSL works
A visual language with its own grammar
BSL is not English expressed through signs. Its meaning is created through handshape, movement, location, orientation and features of the face and body. These elements work alongside BSL grammar, including the way signs are structured and combined.
English cannot simply be translated into BSL one word at a time. The two languages differ in grammar, structure and the ways they express meaning.
Who uses BSL
BSL is used across the UK
There is no single definitive count of BSL users. The British Deaf Association publishes the following widely cited estimates.
- About 87,000
- Deaf people estimated to use BSL in the UK (British Deaf Association)
- About 151,000
- People estimated to use BSL in the UK (British Deaf Association)
These are estimates based on published official statistics, not an exact count.
Being deaf or having hearing loss doesn’t necessarily mean someone uses BSL. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate in many different ways, and language preferences vary from person to person.
BSL is also used and learned by relatives of Deaf people, interpreters, teachers, support workers, healthcare professionals and others who communicate with BSL users through their work or everyday lives.
Recognised in law
Legal recognition of BSL
The British Sign Language Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. Section 1 of the Act states:
“British Sign Language is recognised as a language of England, Wales and Scotland.”
British Sign Language Act 2022, s.1(1)
The Act also places duties on the Secretary of State to report on the use of BSL across listed UK government departments and to issue guidance on promoting and facilitating BSL.
The British Sign Language (Wales) Act 2026 places further duties on Welsh Ministers and specified public bodies to promote and facilitate the use of BSL. Its provisions include a national BSL strategy, guidance for public bodies, published BSL plans and progress reporting.
The 2022 Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, where both BSL and Irish Sign Language are used. Their recognition and public-policy arrangements are separate from those created by the Act.
Before 2022, the UK Government had recognised BSL as a language in its own right in a ministerial statement on 18 March 2003, but that recognition had no statutory force. The 2022 Act put statutory recognition for England, Wales and Scotland into primary legislation, following earlier legislation in Scotland, including the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015.
Read the Act on legislation.gov.ukA brief history
BSL and signing in Britain go back centuries
For much of the 20th century BSL was discouraged in education in favour of speech. A few key dates in its documented history in Britain:
Show BSL history timeline
- 1576
An entry in the parish register of St Martin’s, Leicester (now Leicester Cathedral) records the wedding of Thomas Tilsye, a Deaf man, on 5 February 1576. He made his vows in signs rather than spoken words. This is commonly described as the earliest surviving written record of a Deaf person using signs in England.
- 1602
Richard Carew records an observation of two Deaf Cornishmen, Edward Bone and John Kempe, communicating fluently in signs in his Survey of Cornwall.
- 1644
John Bulwer publishes Chirologia: or the Naturall Language of the Hand, an early printed account of signing in Britain.
Source: UCL: A brief history of BSL.
- 2003
On 18 March 2003 the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Andrew Smith MP, issues a ministerial statement recognising BSL as a language in its own right. The statement has no statutory force.
Source: BSL Act 2022 Explanatory Notes (PDF), BDA: BSL Act now.
- 2022
The British Sign Language Act receives Royal Assent on 28 April 2022, placing statutory recognition of BSL for England, Wales and Scotland in primary legislation (following the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015).
Source: legislation.gov.uk.
- 2026
The British Sign Language (Wales) Act 2026 becomes law, creating a further statutory framework to promote and support BSL in Wales.
BSL vs SSE
BSL is not the same as Sign Supported English
Sign Supported English uses signs alongside spoken English and generally follows English grammar and word order. BSL is a separate language with its own grammar. The two should not be treated as interchangeable.
Sign Supported English (SSE)
- A communication approach, not a language in its own right
- Uses signs drawn largely from BSL while following spoken English
- Used in certain educational and communication settings
- Designed to support spoken English
Sign languages around the world
Sign languages are not universal
BSL is one of many distinct sign languages used around the world. Different sign languages have developed within Deaf communities, each with its own history and linguistic relationships, and users of one do not automatically understand another. A few examples:
- BSL, Auslan and New Zealand Sign Language are historically related and are often grouped as the BANZSL family.
- American Sign Language (ASL) is historically related to French Sign Language rather than to BSL – which is why ASL and BSL are distinct despite both being used in English-speaking countries.
- Irish Sign Language (ISL) developed within Irish Deaf communities and has historical links to French Sign Language. It is a distinct language from BSL and is also used in Northern Ireland.
Can I learn BSL online?
Online learning can be a useful introduction to BSL, including everyday vocabulary, fingerspelling and basic language awareness. Developing broader conversational skills takes time, and benefits from regular practice and opportunities to learn from and communicate with fluent BSL signers.
Ready to start learning?
Our CPD-certified online course is a practical introduction to everyday BSL and fingerspelling.
Ten sections, end-of-section assessments and a certificate of completion. Two years’ access, with Pay What You Can pricing from £5.