| Phoneme |
Hand gestures (all
objects mentioned are imagined, not actual) |
| /A/ |
Fonzie's
thumbs up
|
| /a/ |
Rub beside eyes with fists |
| /b/ |
Pat chest for heartbeat; beat drum |
| /k/ |
Squeeze nutcracker;
swing golf club; pull down index finger to click camera |
| /d/ |
Knock on
door; dribble basketball |
| /E/ |
Raise open hands for shriek |
| /e/ |
Push
elbows back as a rocking chair; open creaky door; cup hand behind ear
|
| /f/ |
Claw like angry
cat; brush clothing with clothes brush; swirl open hand for electric fan |
| /g/ |
Clap hand vertically for croaking frog, raise glass for gulping milk |
| /h/ |
Pump arms for panting runner; breathe on cupped hand; nod head like tired dog |
| /I/ |
Raise hand in a salute as in "Aye, aye,
Captain"; Point thumb toward yourself
|
| /i/ |
Hold out separated sticky fingers |
| /j/ |
Scrub with
scrubbrush; file with wood rasp; twirl jump rope |
| /l/ |
Raise
light saber; lick a lollypop
|
| /m/ |
Rub tummy; zip up lips
|
| /n/ |
Drive
motorboat |
| /O/ |
Nod for
"Oh, I see" |
| /o/ |
Press thumb for tongue depresser; wipe forehead with back of hand; cover mouth for yawn |
| /p/ |
Pop
fingers open for popcorn; touch fingers on open hand for water
drip; skip stone
; pop soap bubbles |
| /kw/ |
Type with two fingers |
| /r/ |
Start a chain
saw; clench teeth for growling dog |
| /s/ |
Puncture a flat
tire; spray hairspray; swirl frying pan for sizzling bacon; undulate
hand from side to side for snake; strike down with two fingers for
fangs of snake
|
| /t/ |
Make a pendulum finger for ticking clock; tap watch; listen to watch |
| /U/ |
Point like Uncle Sam: "We
want you."
|
| /u/ |
Pretend to
punch your stomach; pull chain on foghorn |
| /v/ |
Pretend to shave with electric shaver; extend arms for airplane; push vacuum cleaner
|
| /w/ |
Twirl a lariat;
cast a fly rod; move from side to side like washing maching
|
| /ks/ or /gz/ |
Open a soda
can; squeeze a grease gun |
| /y/ |
Slap the side of your leg to spur
a horse, "Yah."
|
| /z/ |
Zip up a coat |
| /OO/ |
Raise hands with fingers pointed
down like ghost |
| /oo/ |
Curl arms to lift weights; pull fists down for chin-up |
| /oi/ |
Open
squeaky gate |
| /ou/ |
Squeeze upper arm after inoculation |
| /aw/ |
Flap wings like crow |
| /ar/ |
Shift
grinding gears |
| /sh/ |
Finger to lips for "Be quiet"; wave hose to water the lawn |
| /hw/ |
Blow out candle held in hand
|
| /ch/ |
Revolve fists alternately for
wheels of steam train; steer antique car |
| /th/ or /th/ |
Peel tape |
| /ng/ |
Strike a gong
with two hands; pluck string bass |
| /zh/ |
Saw a board
|