The sign for 'igloo' is a compound of two signs: ICE and HOUSE. First, sign ICE by holding both hands out in front of you, palms facing down with fingers spread. Pull them back slightly while curling your fingers into claw shapes, as if water is freezing. Next, sign HOUSE by bringing both flat hands together at the fingertips to form a peaked roof shape, then moving them straight down parallel to each other to outline the walls.
Sign 'igloo' by combining the signs for ICE and HOUSE to describe the snow structure.
Use the ICE + HOUSE compound for 'igloo', followed by the sign for WARM near your mouth.
Sign 'igloo' using the ICE + HOUSE sequence, then use your hands to show the small size.
Sign 'igloo' by combining the signs for ICE and HOUSE to describe the snow structure.
Use the ICE + HOUSE compound for 'igloo', followed by the sign for WARM near your mouth.
Sign 'igloo' using the ICE + HOUSE sequence, then use your hands to show the small size.
Yes, fingerspelling I-G-L-O-O is also very common and perfectly acceptable, especially if you want to be specific about the word rather than just describing an 'ice house'.
The sign uses the standard ASL sign for 'HOUSE', which has a peaked roof. In compound signs, standard signs are often used for efficiency, even if the real-life object (like a dome-shaped igloo) looks slightly different.
Both variations exist! The video demonstrates ICE + HOUSE, which is very common, but you may also see signers use SNOW (wiggling fingers moving downward) followed by HOUSE or a dome shape.
