ASL and BSL are two different sign languages used by deaf communities in different parts of the world. Here are some of the differences between ASL and BSL:

ASL:

• Uses a one-handed manual alphabet
• Employs a subject-comment structure
• Has a lot of fingerspelling
• Based on French Sign Language (LSF)

BSL:

• Uses a two-handed manual alphabet
• Uses a topic-comment structure
• Uses fingerspelling mainly for proper nouns such as names and places
• Developed independently
• Considered a dialect of BANZSL (British, Australian, and New Zealand Sign Language)

Despite some word overlap and sign similarities, ASL and BSL are fundamentally independent sign languages. The people using ASL and BSL cannot be understood by each other’s users. Even after importing language components or vocabulary from one another, ASL and BSL remain highly specialized.