Unified English Braille · Letter 23 of 26
W in braille
The letter W in braille is dots 2-4-5-6: ⠺. It has four raised dots in the six-dot cell, in the middle left (dot 2), top right (dot 4), middle right (dot 5) and bottom right (dot 6). The dots are numbered 1, 2 and 3 down the left column and 4, 5 and 6 down the right.
The cell above is Unicode braille, so you can copy it: ⠺ (U+283A). To turn a whole word or sentence into braille, use the braille translator; to read braille cells back, the braille to English translator.
Where W fits in the alphabet
W is the exception of the alphabet. u, v, x, y and z are a to e with dots 3 and 6 added, but w (dots 2-4-5-6) does not follow that pattern: it has a cell of its own, outside the three rows. It is the one letter that is worth learning on its own.
See every letter at once in the braille alphabet chart.
Capital W
Braille has no separate capital letters. A capital W is the same cell with the capital indicator in front of it, dot 6 (⠠): ⠠⠺. Two capital indicators (⠠⠠) put the whole word in capitals.
W as a whole word
In contracted braille (Grade 2), the one most books and signs in English use, w standing alone is a word: it means “will”, so ⠺ between spaces reads as will. To write the letter w by itself in Grade 2, it takes the grade 1 indicator in front (⠰, dots 5-6): ⠰⠺.
Letters W is mixed up with
Flip w left to right and you get r (⠗, dots 1-2-3-5). The two are easy to mix up at first, especially by touch: check which column the dots are in.
How W feels under the finger
By touch, w is one dot in the left column (middle) and a full right column. It reaches the bottom row of the cell, which is what sets it apart from the letters a to j. Beginners read it with the pad of the index finger, moving lightly across the cell instead of pressing on each dot.
Writing W with a slate and stylus
With a slate and stylus you punch the dots from the back of the paper and write from right to left, so every cell is the mirror image of how it is read. To write w, press the stylus in the top left, middle left, bottom left and middle right of the cell, the same places you would use to read r. When you turn the paper over, the raised dots are in the middle left, top right, middle right and bottom right: w, ready to read. A braillewriter such as the Perkins does the mirroring for you: you press the keys for dots 2-4-5-6 and read the result straight away.
Words that start with W
Three words in uncontracted braille (Grade 1), letter by letter, so you can find the w at the start of each one.
| Word | Braille | Dots |
|---|---|---|
| water | ⠺⠁⠞⠑⠗ | 2-4-5-6 1 2-3-4-5 1-5 1-2-3-5 |
| wind | ⠺⠊⠝⠙ | 2-4-5-6 2-4 1-3-4-5 1-4-5 |
| wolf | ⠺⠕⠇⠋ | 2-4-5-6 1-3-5 1-2-3 1-2-4 |
Frequently asked questions
What is W in braille?
W is dots 2-4-5-6 of the six-dot braille cell: ⠺. It has four raised dots, in the middle left (dot 2), top right (dot 4), middle right (dot 5) and bottom right (dot 6).
How do you write a capital W in braille?
With the capital indicator, dot 6 (⠠), in front of the letter: ⠠⠺. Braille has no separate capital letters.
What does w mean by itself in braille?
In contracted braille (Grade 2), w standing alone means “will”. The letter on its own is written with the grade 1 indicator in front: ⠰⠺.
From W to reading
Knowing a letter is the start. Reading braille by touch takes practice
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