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Every character in the braille code is based on an
arrangement of one to six raised dots. Each dot has a numbered position in the
braille cell. These characters make up the letters of the alphabet, punctuation
marks, numbers, and everything else you can do in print.
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The Braille Cell
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The letter "A" is written with only 1 dot.
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The letter "D" has dots 1, 4, and 5.
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The letter "Y" has dots 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
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A "Period" is written with dots 2, 5, and 6.
(Do you see how it is the same shape as the letter "D," only lower down in the cell?)
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When all six dots are used, the character is called a "full cell"
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The picture below shows you how the dots are arranged
in the braille cell for each letter of the alphabet. See if you can find the
letters in your name and tell the dot numbers for each one.
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a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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f
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g
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h
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i
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j
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k
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l
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m
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n
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o
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p
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q
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r
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s
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t
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u
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v
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w
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x
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y
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z
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Braille does not have a separate alphabet of
capital letters as there is in print. Capital letters are indicated by
placing a dot 6 in front of the letter to be capitalized. Two capital
signs mean the whole word is capitalized.
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One Letter Capitalized
Entire Word Capitalized
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Braille Numbers
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Braille numbers are made using the first ten letters of
the alphabet, "a" through "j", and a special number sign, dots 3, 4, 5, and 6.
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Larger numbers only need one number sign.
The comma in braille is dot 2.
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Expanding the Code
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Now that you understand how dots are arranged in
the braille cell to make the letters of the alphabet and numbers, you're
ready to learn more about the code. Braille uses special characters called
contractions to make words shorter. We use contractions like "don't" as a
short way of writing two words, such as "do" and "not." In braille there are
many additional contractions, 189 in all! Using these contractions saves space,
which is very important because braille books are much larger and longer than
print books.
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Some contractions stand for a whole word
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and =  the = 
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Other contractions stand for a group of letters
within a word.
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ing =  ed = 
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In addition to contractions, the braille code includes
short-form words which are abbreviated spellings of common longer words.
For example, "tomorrow" is spelled "tm", "friend" is spelled "fr", and
"little" is spelled "ll" in braille.
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You might think that because short-form words are so
easy to spell that children who write braille get a break on their spelling
tests. Actually, braille readers also learn regular spelling for typing on a
computer.
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Let's see what kind of difference contractions make in
braille. Look at the same phrase, you like him, in uncontracted braille (sometimes called
"grade 1 braille") and contracted braille (sometimes called "grade 2 braille").
What do you notice about the length of the two phrases?
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Uncontracted Braille:
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Contracted Braille:
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Other Braille Codes
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The braille code used for writing regular text in
books, magazines, school reports, and letters is known as "literary braille."
There are other codes, though, that let people who are blind write just about
anything, from math problems to music notes to computer notation!
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One More Comment About Braille
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People sometimes ask if
it would be easier to use raised print alphabet letters, rather than dots.
When you read about Louis Braille, you'll learn that raised print letters were
tried in the early 1800s before he invented braille. However, these letters
were very difficult to read by touch, and writing them was even more of a
problem.
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If you ever see an experienced reader's fingers
gliding across a page of braille at 100-200 words per minute, you will
appreciate the genius of the simple six-dot system. Braille can be read
and written with ease by both children and adults. It is truly an invention
that is here to stay.
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