Signing Exact English Compound Words and Synonyms

Compound words are two or more basic words put together. "If the meaning of the words separately is consistent with the meaning of the words together, then and only then are they signed as the component words".

For example, the word "underline" would be signed as "under-line" but the word "understand", having no relation to the meaning of the words "under" and "stand", would have a separate sign and would not be signed "under-stand".

When the first letter is added to a basic sign to create synonyms, "the basic sign is retained wherever possible as the most commonly used". For example, the basic sign for "make" is retained for that word, while the sign is made with C-hands for "create", and P-hands for "produce".