The Department for Education has released a list of 1,000 commonly used BSL signs which are planned to be part of the GCSE content. Students will be expected to learn at least 750 signs from the established lexicon. Regional signs and base signs (including modifiers, affirmations and negations) count as one sign. In addition to the 750 signs, students are expected to know the BSL alphabet and numbers.
| Verbs | Objects | Numerals | Adjectives & Adverbs |
| SIGN GO HAVE SAW WORK THINK SEE KNOW WANT LOOK FINISH SAY COME FEEL WRITE EXPLAIN TEACH WALK ASK TALK BORN GROW UP TELL KNOW NOT UNDERSTAND SEARCH LEARN REMEMBER GIVE SPEAK MEET LIKE START ENTER CONTINUE HEAR MAKE LEAVE EAT DROVE INTERPRET MEAN PLAY GET MOVE CHANGE STAY ARRIVE SIGN CHAT WAIT WONDER PROGRESS TRY FIND HELP DO PAY SHIFT TELEPHONE COMMUNICATE FORGET NEGOTIATE INVOLVE LIVE DRINK SLEEP HAPPEN BRING READ MARRY TAKE WATCH FOLLOW STOP MIX SHOCK PUT ASIDE LAUGH HOLD LEAVE-ALONE VISIT TRAVEL BUY COOK ENCOURAGE BREAK JOIN LOOK AFTER FLY PICK SHOW FIX LOVE SIT WAKE UP USE ACCEPT KICK SEND TEXT BELIEVE FISH EXIST SMELL DRIVE STAND | GROUP HOUSE CAR BOOK BED MONEY WAY BODY BOAT BUS HAND WATER FLAT STAIRS LIFT MOBILE PHONE WALLET SAT NAV CHEST OF DRAWERS CUPBOARD TABLE LAMP CEILING LIGHT HAIR TRAIN AIRPLANE HELICOPTER COMPUTER INTERNET BROADBAND MOBILE TELEPHONE MILE KILOGRAM POUND PENNY CUP PLATE TOOTHBRUSH SPOON FORK KNIFE SCISSORS BALL LORRY TRAM BICYCLE MOTORBIKE UBER TAXI TUBE AIRPORT RAILWAY STATION TICKET BUS PASS UFO TELEVISION MICROWAVE TOASTER KETTLE SHEET BLANKET DUVET PILLOW VACUUM CLEANER HAIRDRYER WIFI CABLE SUN SKY MOON STAR MOUNTAIN RIVER SEA | ZERO ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN TWENTY THIRTY FORTY FIFTY SIXTY SEVENTY EIGHTY NINETY HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLION BILLION FIRST ORDINAL SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH SIXTH SEVENTH EIGHTH NINTH TENTH ELEVENTH TWELFTH THIRTEENTH FOURTEENTH FIFTEENTH SIXTEENTH SEVENTEENTH EIGHTEENTH NINETEENTH TWENTIETH HUNDREDTH THOUSANDTH | GOOD SAME WELL DIFFERENT ALL OTHER SOME HARD RIGHT MORE BETTER INTERESTING LITTLE EASY BAD NEW STILL OLD REAL/REALLY FULL MANY AGAIN BIG HALF VERY SMALL ALWAYS HIGH STRONG EVERY READY PAINFUL HAPPY MOST FEW ENOUGH FAR FUNNY WORSE PLENTY YOUNG PERFECT MEDICAL TRUE LOTS LAST TOP BEST WRONG FIRST (time) PATIENT TIRED ILL FED UP FANTASTIC STRICT EVIL |
| Places | Animals | People | Food |
| AREA ENGLAND/ENGLISH CLUB HOME HOSPITAL WORLD FARM ROOM SHOP BANK CAFÉ PUB WALES WELSH (language) GAELIC SCOTLAND IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND INDIA PAKISTAN FRANCE GERMANY ITALY GREECE SPAIN PORTUGAL USA DENMARK NORWAY SWEDEN FINLAND RUSSIA JAPAN CHINA LONDON LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER GLASGOW EDINBURGH BRIGHTON BELFAST BIRMINGHAM DUBLIN LEEDS LEICESTER PARIS ROME BLACKPOOL PORTSMOUTH | DOG CAT BIRD CHICKEN DUCK HORSE COW GOAT SHEEP LION TIGER ELEPHANT GIRAFFE RHINO MOUSE INSECT PIG DEER COCKEREL SNAKE FROG BUTTERFLY BAT | CHILDREN MOTHER PEOPLE TEACHER FRIEND SPOUSE GIRLFRIEND BOYFRIEND MAN FATHER PERSON FAMILY BABY BROTHER BOY PARENTS DOCTOR WOMAN SISTER CHILD BOTH OF US STAFF DAUGHTER BOSS LADY GIRL UNCLE/AUNT COUSIN NIECE/NEPHEW GRANDMOTHER GRANDFATHER SON COOK (occupation) BAKER CARPENTER ELECTRICIAN PLUMBER BUILDER HAIRDRESSER NURSE ACTOR SINGER QUEEN/KING PRINCE/PRINCESS DENTIST INTERPRETER TWINS TRANSLATOR ROBOT MONSTER WITCH WIZARD | FOOD TEA COFFEE MILK COLA ORANGE APPLE BANANA ICE CREAM CARROT POTATO CHEESE SALAD EGG FISH MEAT SAUSAGE BACON CHOCOLATE CREAM SUGAR GRAVY PIZZA BURGER BREAD CAKE CHIPS RICE NOODLES CRISPS WINE BEER GRAPE CHERRY TOMATO STRAWBERRY BISCUIT PIE RECIPE TAKEAWAY BREAKFAST MIDDAY MEAL AFTERNOON MEAL EVENING MEAL SNACK |
| Modal verbs | Negators | Question signs | Conversation modulators |
| MUST CAN’T CAN WILL WON’T SHOULD | NOTHING NO SHOW NO (WAVE) NO (INDEX FINGER) NEVER NOT YET NOT EXIST | WHAT WHEN WHY HOW WHERE WHICH HOW MUCH HOW MANY HOW OLD HOW FAR | ALL RIGHT MAYBE TO THANK/THANKS HELLO PLEASE UNDERSTANDNOT YES NO SORRY (MAY I ) INTERRUPT DEFINITELY (CAN YOU) REPEAT HOW ARE YOU GOOD MORNING GOOD EVENING GOOD NIGHT WELL PERHAPS SO SO (WHAT DID YOU) SAY? |
| Clothing | Calendar time | Sports | School terminology |
| HAT JACKET HOODIE SHIRT TEE-SHIRT JUMPER DRESS SKIRT TROUSERS SOCKS SHOES GLOVES NECKLACE BOOTS BELT SCARF TIE EYEGLASSES UNDERWEAR BRA VEST WATCH (noun) | YEAR MONTH DAY NIGHT MORNING WEEK DATE HOUR MINUTE AGE SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER FORTNIGHT SPRING SUMMER WINTER AUTUMN TODAY | SPORT TEAM COMPETE SWIM RUN FOOTBALL TENNIS GOLF SKATING SKIING BASKETBALL NETBALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL CRICKET LEAGUE STADIUM FIELD GOAL SCORE KEEP FIT BOX RUGBY HOCKEY DEAFLYMPICS PARALYMPICS TORCH MEDAL DANCE ROCK AND ROLL RULES COMPETITION JUDGE CEILIDH BALLET PARTNER | CLASS SCHOOL COLLEGE UNIVERSITY 6TH FORM SCIENCE BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY COMPUTING PHYSICS GEOGRAPHY MATHS HISTORY LESSON HOMEWORK ESSAY EXAMINATION ART MUSIC POETRY THEATRE |
| Function terms | Time related terms | Colours | Abstract concepts |
| BUT IN BECAUSE WITH OR IF ABOUT THROUGH AND NEXT ON UNDER OVER | TIME NOW PAST THEN ONLY LONG TIME AGO BEFORE LATER ON AFTER TIMESPAN TODAY YESTERDAY TOMORROW | RED WHITE BLACK GREEN BLUE YELLOW BROWN PINK GREY | NAME JOB LANGUAGE PROBLEM LIFE STORY EVERYTHING EDUCATION HOLIDAY SOMETHING EXPERIENCE TITLE COURSE WORD ASSOCIATION CULTURE POEM SIGN NETFLIX AMAZON FANTASY FINGERSPELL/ING ACTION THRILLER MURDER POLICE ROBBERY FILM |
| Deaf related terms | Equality | Name signs | Pandemic |
| DEAF HEARING ORAL HARD OF HEARING HEARING AID COCHLEAR IMPLANT | RACE BLACK RACE ASIAN BROWN GAY LESBIAN BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER RAINBOW QUEER NON-BINARY L+G+B+T+Q+I+A | Range of name signs, e.g. WINSTON CHURCHILL | COVID PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN VACCINE SOCIAL DISTANCING MASK COUGH TEST TEST SWAB |
| Manual alphabet | |||
| A-Z |