Unified English Braille · Words in braille
Yes in braille
In braille, “yes” is 3 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.
Yes, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| y | ⠽ | 1-3-4-5-6 | top left, bottom left, top right, middle right and bottom right |
| e | ⠑ | 1-5 | top left and middle right |
| s | ⠎ | 2-3-4 | middle left, bottom left and top right |
The letter e stays in the top two rows of the cell, like every letter from a to j; the letters y and s reach the bottom row, with dot 3 or dot 6. No letter repeats, so every cell in yes is different. The fullest cell is y, with five dots, and the whole word has 10 raised dots in Grade 1.
Each letter has its own page in the braille alphabet: Y, E, S.
Yes in Grade 2 braille
liblouis, the braille engine our translator runs, gives the same cells for both grades: yes has no contraction in Unified English Braille. Grade 1 is ⠽⠑⠎ and Grade 2 is ⠽⠑⠎ (dots 1-3-4-5-6, 1-5, 2-3-4).
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.
Yes 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: yes | ⠽⠑⠎ | ⠽⠑⠎ |
| Capital first letter: Yes | ⠠⠽⠑⠎ | ⠠⠽⠑⠎ |
| All capitals: YES | ⠠⠠⠽⠑⠎ | ⠠⠠⠽⠑⠎ |
Where to use yes in braille
Yes is a word that does a lot of work in braille: on yes and no cards for a game or a vote in class, on a switch, or on a quiz where the answer has to be found by touch. It is three cells, and Grade 2 does not change it.
The risk with yes is shortening it. In Grade 2 the letter y standing alone means “you”, so a card with only ⠽ on it would be read as you, not yes. Write the whole word.
Its opposite, no, is ⠝⠕ (1-3-4-5, 1-3-5): two cells, also the same in both grades. The letter n alone means “not”, so write no in full as well.
More words in braille
- Love in braille: ⠇⠕⠧⠑
- Hello in braille: ⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕
- Happy birthday in braille: ⠓⠁⠏⠏⠽⠀⠃⠊⠗⠞⠓⠙⠁⠽
- Thank you in braille: ⠞⠓⠁⠝⠅⠀⠽⠕⠥
- Merry Christmas 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 yes in braille?
Yes is 3 cells: ⠽⠑⠎ (1-3-4-5-6, 1-5, 2-3-4). In Grade 1 each letter takes one six-dot cell.
Is yes different in Grade 2 braille?
No. Yes has no contraction in Unified English Braille, so Grade 1 and Grade 2 are the same: ⠽⠑⠎.
How do you write Yes 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 yes have in braille?
10 raised dots in Grade 1, spread over 3 cells.
How do you write “no” in braille?
No is ⠝⠕: n (dots 1-3-4-5) and o (dots 1-3-5), the same in Grade 1 and Grade 2.
From “yes” 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.
Works with VoiceOver and TalkBack