Braille Translator (English to Braille and Back)
This Braille translator converts English text into uncontracted Unified English Braille (Grade 1), including capitals, numbers and punctuation, and translates Braille cells back into English. Each cell’s dot numbers are shown for learners.
How to use the Braille translator
- Type English text into the box. Capitals, numbers and common punctuation are all handled.
- Press Convert to see the text in Unicode Braille cells, using uncontracted Unified English Braille (UEB Grade 1).
- Check the dot numbers in the table if you are learning or making something by hand.
- Copy or download the Braille as a text file. Paste Braille cells into the box to translate them back to English.
The output is for learning, labelling practice and checking work. Text meant for Braille readers should be produced by a trained transcriber or proper Braille software and printed on an embosser, because readers expect contracted (Grade 2) Braille and correct formatting.
How the Braille translation works
A Braille cell has six dot positions in two columns. Dots 1, 2 and 3 run down the left column and dots 4, 5 and 6 down the right. Each letter is a pattern of raised dots. Unicode has a block of 256 Braille characters (U+2800 to U+28FF) that covers every possible pattern, so the tool can show and copy real cells. The rules applied are those of Unified English Braille, the standard adopted by the main English-speaking countries:
- Letters a–j use only the top four dots. k–t are a–j plus dot 3. u, v, x, y, z add dots 3 and 6. w is the exception, because French Braille, where the system began, did not use it.
- Capitals: dot 6 (⠠) before a capital letter, and two of them (⠠⠠) before a word in all capitals.
- Numbers: the numeric indicator ⠼ (dots 3-4-5-6) followed by the letters a–j, which stand for 1–9 and 0. A decimal point or comma inside a number keeps number mode on.
- Grade 1 indicator: if a letter from a to j follows a digit directly, ⠰ (dots 5-6) is inserted so it is not read as another digit.
Room 101 → ⠠ r o o m (space) ⠼ a j a → ⠠⠗⠕⠕⠍ ⠼⠁⠚⠁
Braille alphabet chart
| Letter | Braille | Dots | Letter | Braille | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a / 1 | ⠁ | 1 | n | ⠝ | 1-3-4-5 |
| b / 2 | ⠃ | 1-2 | o | ⠕ | 1-3-5 |
| c / 3 | ⠉ | 1-4 | p | ⠏ | 1-2-3-4 |
| d / 4 | ⠙ | 1-4-5 | q | ⠟ | 1-2-3-4-5 |
| e / 5 | ⠑ | 1-5 | r | ⠗ | 1-2-3-5 |
| f / 6 | ⠋ | 1-2-4 | s | ⠎ | 2-3-4 |
| g / 7 | ⠛ | 1-2-4-5 | t | ⠞ | 2-3-4-5 |
| h / 8 | ⠓ | 1-2-5 | u | ⠥ | 1-3-6 |
| i / 9 | ⠊ | 2-4 | v | ⠧ | 1-2-3-6 |
| j / 0 | ⠚ | 2-4-5 | w | ⠺ | 2-4-5-6 |
| k | ⠅ | 1-3 | x | ⠭ | 1-3-4-6 |
| l | ⠇ | 1-2-3 | y | ⠽ | 1-3-4-5-6 |
| m | ⠍ | 1-3-4 | z | ⠵ | 1-3-5-6 |
| Symbol | Braille | Dots |
|---|---|---|
| Capital letter | ⠠ | 6 |
| Capitalised word | ⠠⠠ | 6, 6 |
| Number follows | ⠼ | 3-4-5-6 |
| Grade 1 indicator | ⠰ | 5-6 |
| Comma , | ⠂ | 2 |
| Full stop . | ⠲ | 2-5-6 |
| Question mark ? | ⠦ | 2-3-6 |
| Exclamation mark ! | ⠖ | 2-3-5 |
| Apostrophe ‘ | ⠄ | 3 |
| Hyphen – | ⠤ | 3-6 |
| Colon : | ⠒ | 2-5 |
| Semicolon ; | ⠆ | 2-3 |
| Opening quote “ | ⠦ | 2-3-6 |
| Closing quote ” | ⠴ | 3-5-6 |
Examples
A greeting
“Hello, World!” becomes ⠠⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕⠂ ⠠⠺⠕⠗⠇⠙⠖. Each capital takes its own ⠠, the comma is dot 2 and the exclamation mark is dots 2-3-5.
Acronyms and numbers
“NASA” becomes ⠠⠠⠝⠁⠎⠁, with the double capital sign covering the whole word. “3.50” becomes ⠼⠉⠲⠑⠚: one number sign, then c, the decimal point, e and j for 3, 5 and 0.
Why the opening quote looks like a question mark
In UEB the opening double quotation mark and the question mark share the same cell, ⠦. Readers tell them apart by position: a quote opens before a word, a question mark follows one. The reverse translator uses the same rule.
Grade 1 and Grade 2 Braille
Most English Braille in books, signs and documents is Grade 2, also called contracted Braille. It uses around 180 contractions and short forms to save space: “the” is written ⠮ and “and” is ⠯. This tool writes Grade 1 (uncontracted), where every letter is spelled out. Grade 1 is what beginners learn first and is easiest to check by eye, but a Grade 2 reader will find it slow. Louis Braille published his system in 1829, and UEB was adopted in the United States in 2016 after Australia, New Zealand, the UK and other countries. Our guide on How Braille Works: Cells, Dots, Grade 1 and Grade 2 covers the history and both grades.