Unified English Braille
Braille words
A word in braille is a row of six-dot cells, one for each letter, with a blank cell between words. These are some of the words people look up most often, each on its own page with the cells, the dot numbers, the Grade 2 version and the capital letters.
| Word | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Love | ⠇⠕⠧⠑ | ⠇⠕⠧⠑ | 4 → 4 |
| Hello | ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕ | ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕ | 5 → 5 |
| Happy birthday | ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠃⠊⠗⠞⠓⠙⠁⠽ | ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠃⠊⠗⠹⠐⠙ | 13 → 11 |
| Thank you | ⠞⠓⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠕⠥ | ⠹⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽ | 8 → 5 |
| Merry Christmas | ⠍⠑⠗⠗⠽⠀⠉⠓⠗⠊⠎⠞⠍⠁⠎ | ⠍⠻⠗⠽⠀⠡⠗⠊⠌⠍⠁⠎ | 14 → 11 |
| Yes | ⠽⠑⠎ | ⠽⠑⠎ | 3 → 3 |
| I love you | ⠠⠊⠀⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠽⠕⠥ | ⠠⠊⠀⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠽ | 9 → 7 |
How a word is written in braille
In uncontracted braille (Grade 1) every print letter gets its own cell, in order: hello is ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕, the cells of h, e, l, l and o. Between two words goes a blank cell, the braille version of a space: thank you is ⠞⠓⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠕⠥. The cells of the 26 letters are in the braille alphabet chart.
Braille has no separate capital letters. The capital indicator, dot 6 (⠠), goes in front of a capital: Hello is ⠠⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕. Two of them put the whole word in capitals: HELLO is ⠠⠠⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕.
Most English braille is contracted (Grade 2): some groups of letters take one cell, and some letters standing alone mean a whole word. Of the six words above, happy birthday, thank you and Merry Christmas are shorter in Grade 2, and love, hello and yes stay the same. Each word’s page shows which contraction does what, and braille contractions lists them all.
Short sentences in braille
A sentence is written the same way: words with a blank cell between them. These are in lower case, so no capital indicators. All of them are shorter in Grade 2.
| Sentence | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| see you soon | ⠎⠑⠑⠀⠽⠕⠥⠀⠎⠕⠕⠝ | ⠎⠑⠑⠀⠽⠀⠎⠕⠕⠝ | 10 → 8 |
| good morning | ⠛⠕⠕⠙⠀⠍⠕⠗⠝⠊⠝⠛ | ⠛⠙⠀⠍⠕⠗⠝⠬ | 11 → 7 |
| good night | ⠛⠕⠕⠙⠀⠝⠊⠛⠓⠞ | ⠛⠙⠀⠝⠊⠣⠞ | 9 → 6 |
| happy new year | ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠝⠑⠺⠀⠽⠑⠁⠗ | ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠝⠑⠺⠀⠽⠑⠜ | 12 → 11 |
| best friends | ⠃⠑⠎⠞⠀⠋⠗⠊⠑⠝⠙⠎ | ⠃⠑⠌⠀⠋⠗⠎ | 11 → 6 |
| thank you very much | ⠞⠓⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠕⠥⠀⠧⠑⠗⠽⠀⠍⠥⠉⠓ | ⠹⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠀⠧⠀⠍⠡ | 16 → 8 |
For any other word, name or sentence, type it into the braille translator and switch between Grade 1 and Grade 2. Names are explained in I love you in braille, with twenty of them already done.
Making a word you can read by touch
Printed or drawn dots are a picture of braille. To be read with the fingers the dots have to be raised, with a slate and stylus, a braillewriter such as the Perkins, or a braille label maker. How to write braille shows the slate and the braillewriter, and braille labels covers label makers.
Frequently asked questions
What are braille words?
Words written in braille cells instead of print letters. In uncontracted braille (Grade 1) each letter takes one cell, so hello is ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕. In contracted braille (Grade 2) some groups of letters, and some whole words, take fewer cells.
How do you write a word in braille?
Write the cell of each letter in order, leave a blank cell between words, and put the capital indicator, dot 6 (⠠), in front of a capital letter: Hello is ⠠⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕.
Are words different in Grade 2 braille?
Some are. Of the words on this page, happy birthday, thank you and Merry Christmas are shorter in Grade 2, and love, hello and yes are the same in both grades.
How do you write a sentence in braille?
The same way as a word, with a blank cell between words and the punctuation in cells of its own. For any sentence, the Braillito braille translator gives both grades.
From words to reading
Writing a word is the start. Reading braille by touch takes practice
Braillito teaches braille from scratch, with 59 lessons in 8 worlds, in 38 languages, English included.
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