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Braille to English · Puzzle maker

Braille decoder: read a braille message, or make one

Found a message in braille, in an escape room, a puzzle or a card? Press the raised dots of each cell, or paste the cells, and the letters appear as you go. The decoder reads uncontracted braille (Grade 1): letters, numbers, capitals and punctuation.

Press the dots you see

Or paste the braille

For example ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕, or 125 15 123 123 135 with a space between cells and / between words.

Reads as

The text will appear here.

Make a braille puzzle to print

Write a secret message, a clue or a lock code, and print it in Grade 1 braille.

Up to 60 characters. Each capital letter adds the capital indicator, so type in lowercase to leave it out.

Add to the sheet

Secret message in braille

Each cell is one letter. Write it on the line underneath.

Alphabet key. After the number sign, a to j are the digits 1 to 0.

  • a
  • b
  • c
  • d
  • e
  • f
  • g
  • h
  • i
  • j
  • k
  • l
  • m
  • n
  • o
  • p
  • q
  • r
  • s
  • t
  • u
  • v
  • w
  • x
  • y
  • z
  • number
  • capital

How to read a braille cell

A braille cell has six dot positions in two columns. Dots 1, 2 and 3 run down the left, and dots 4, 5 and 6 down the right. To decode a cell, note which positions are raised and find the letter: ⠓ has dots 1, 2 and 5, so it is h.

The alphabet follows a pattern. The letters a to j use only the top four dots (1, 2, 4 and 5). The letters k to t are the same shapes with dot 3 added, so k is a plus dot 3. The letters u, v, x, y and z are a to e with dots 3 and 6 added. w is the exception, with dots 2, 4, 5 and 6.

Two cells change the next ones. Dot 6 (⠠) is the capital indicator, and dots 3, 4, 5 and 6 (⠼) is the numeric indicator: after it, the letters a to j are the digits 1 to 0, so ⠼⠁⠃⠉ is 123. The full chart is on the braille alphabet page.

Braille puzzles for escape rooms and classrooms

  • Keep it Grade 1. Every letter is spelled out, so the alphabet key solves it.
  • For a lock code, type the digits: they follow the numeric indicator, which the alphabet key explains.
  • A printed sheet cannot be felt. For dots people can touch, copy the cells with glue dots or puffy paint on card.
  • In class, give each student a different message and the key, then have them write a reply. More ideas: braille games and activities and braille practice sheets.

Frequently asked questions

How do I decode a braille message?

Take one cell at a time: press its raised dots on the keypad above and then Add, or paste the cells if you have them as text. Press Space between words, and add the indicators too (⠠, ⠼), since they change the next letters. To check a cell by eye, use the braille alphabet chart.

Why does my braille message decode into odd letters or symbols?

It is probably contracted braille (Grade 2), the kind used on signs in the United States. In Grade 2 a letter on its own can be a whole word (⠃ alone is “but”), and some cells stand for words or groups of letters, like ⠮ for “the”. This decoder reads Grade 1, letter by letter, and names the Grade 2 cells it finds. For the whole message, use the braille to English translator set to Grade 2.

How do I make a braille puzzle or secret message?

Type it in the puzzle maker (up to 60 characters), choose the alphabet key and the answer key, and print. Each cell shows all six positions and has a line under it for the answer. The sheet fits one US Letter page.

Is braille a cipher or a secret code?

No. Braille is a way of writing, used every day by people who are blind, and anyone who knows the alphabet can read it. In a puzzle it works like a cipher with a public key: hand players the alphabet key and they can solve it.

From decoding to reading

Decoding with a key is a start. Reading braille takes practice

Braillito teaches braille from scratch, with 59 lessons in 8 worlds, in 38 languages, English included.

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