Unified English Braille · Words in braille
Love in braille
In braille, “love” is 4 cells: ⠇⠕⠧⠑. Contracted braille (Grade 2), the form most books and signs in English use, writes it exactly the same way.
The cells are Unicode braille, so you can copy them: ⠇⠕⠧⠑. To write another word, use the braille translator.
Love, letter by letter
One cell per letter, the dots numbered 1, 2 and 3 down the left column and 4, 5 and 6 down the right.
| Letter | Braille | Dots | Where the dots are |
|---|---|---|---|
| l | ⠇ | 1-2-3 | top left, middle left and bottom left |
| o | ⠕ | 1-3-5 | top left, bottom left and middle right |
| v | ⠧ | 1-2-3-6 | top left, middle left, bottom left and bottom right |
| e | ⠑ | 1-5 | top left and middle right |
The letter e stays in the top two rows of the cell, like every letter from a to j; the letters l, o and v reach the bottom row, with dot 3 or dot 6. No letter repeats, so every cell in love is different. The fullest cell is v, with four dots, and the whole word has 12 raised dots in Grade 1.
Each letter has its own page in the braille alphabet: L, O, V, E.
Love in Grade 2 braille
liblouis, the braille engine our translator runs, gives the same cells for both grades: love has no contraction in Unified English Braille. Grade 1 is ⠇⠕⠧⠑ and Grade 2 is ⠇⠕⠧⠑ (dots 1-2-3, 1-3-5, 1-2-3-6, 1-5).
Do not shorten it to its first letter. In Grade 2, l written alone means “like”, so a lone letter would be read as that word.
Grade 1 is easier to check against a chart; Grade 2 is the form most books and signs in English use. More in braille contractions.
Love with capital letters
Braille has no separate capital letters. The capital indicator, dot 6 (⠠), goes in front of a capital letter, and two of them (⠠⠠) put a whole word in capitals.
| Grade 1 | Grade 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower case: love | ⠇⠕⠧⠑ | ⠇⠕⠧⠑ |
| Capital first letter: Love | ⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑ | ⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑ |
| All capitals: LOVE | ⠠⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑ | ⠠⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑ |
Where to use love in braille
Love is a word people often want in braille for a present: a Valentine’s Day or anniversary card, a bracelet or pendant with the four cells, a mug, or a braille tattoo. Because love has no contraction, the same four cells are right for someone who learned Grade 1 and for someone who reads Grade 2 every day.
For a present that will be read by touch, the dots have to be raised. A slate and stylus, a braillewriter or a braille label maker all make dots you can feel. Some engraved jewelry has flat or painted dots, which look like braille but cannot be read with the fingers, so ask the maker how the dots are made before you order.
For the whole phrase, see I love you in braille, which also shows how to add a name. Love is the middle word, and it does not change: ⠠⠊⠀⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠽.
More words in braille
- Hello in braille: ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕
- Happy birthday in braille: ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠃⠊⠗⠞⠓⠙⠁⠽
- Thank you in braille: ⠞⠓⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠕⠥
- Merry Christmas in braille: ⠍⠑⠗⠗⠽⠀⠉⠓⠗⠊⠎⠞⠍⠁⠎
- Yes in braille: ⠽⠑⠎
- I love you in braille, and how to write a name
- Braille contractions: the Grade 2 signs, explained
- All braille words
Frequently asked questions
How do you write love in braille?
Love is 4 cells: ⠇⠕⠧⠑ (1-2-3, 1-3-5, 1-2-3-6, 1-5). In Grade 1 each letter takes one six-dot cell.
Is love different in Grade 2 braille?
No. Love has no contraction in Unified English Braille, so Grade 1 and Grade 2 are the same: ⠇⠕⠧⠑.
How do you write Love with capital letters in braille?
Put the capital indicator, dot 6 (⠠), in front of the first letter: ⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑. In all capitals, the word takes two capital indicators: ⠠⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑.
How many dots does love have in braille?
12 raised dots in Grade 1, spread over 4 cells.
How do you write “I love you” in braille?
In Grade 2 it is ⠠⠊⠀⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠽: the capital I, love spelled out, and the letter y on its own for you. Grade 1 spells every letter: ⠠⠊⠀⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠽⠕⠥.
From “love” to reading
Writing a word is the start. Reading braille by touch takes practice
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