Braille Translator
Six-dot reading desk
Build a cell with the Braille Translator
Choose dots as seen from the reading side, then append the cell to your line. The Braille Translator uses this same six-dot alphabet. This desk is useful when you can identify a symbol visually but cannot type it on an ordinary keyboard.
⠀
Blank cell
0 / 500 characters
Braille Translator dot numbers follow columns
Dots 1, 2 and 3 run down the left column; 4, 5 and 6 run down the right. They are not numbered across rows. A slate and stylus uses the reverse side of the paper, so a writing diagram can appear mirrored. Use a reading diagram when copying an embossed label into this desk.
Build a whole word before sending it to the Braille Translator. A single cell can be a letter, a digit after a number indicator, or part of a contraction in another system. The dot label above identifies a basic alphabet letter; it does not settle every possible use of that cell.
Alphabet, case & numbers
Braille Translator reference for a first reading
Begin with a short label rather than a dense passage. The Braille Translator keeps the underlying English spelling while adding the indicators needed by its basic reading table. Use the alphabet below to inspect a cell, then check where the line changes between letters and numbers. A familiar word is easier to examine when its spaces and punctuation remain visible.
⠁
a · 1
⠃
b · 1-2
⠉
c · 1-4
⠙
d · 1-4-5
⠑
e · 1-5
⠋
f · 1-2-4
⠛
g · 1-2-4-5
⠓
h · 1-2-5
⠊
i · 2-4
⠚
j · 2-4-5
⠅
k · 1-3
⠇
l · 1-2-3
⠍
m · 1-3-4
⠝
n · 1-3-4-5
⠕
o · 1-3-5
⠏
p · 1-2-3-4
⠟
q · 1-2-3-4-5
⠗
r · 1-2-3-5
⠎
s · 2-3-4
⠞
t · 2-3-4-5
⠥
u · 1-3-6
⠧
v · 1-2-3-6
⠺
w · 2-4-5-6
⠭
x · 1-3-4-6
⠽
y · 1-3-4-5-6
⠵
z · 1-3-5-6
Basic letter cells and their reading-side dot numbers.
Follow indicators before guessing a word
The cell ⠠ marks the next letter as uppercase. Two capital indicators introduce a run of uppercase letters in this converter. A lower-case a and a capital A therefore share the letter cell, but differ in the marker before it. When copying a Braille Translator line, include those markers rather than selecting only the cells that look like alphabet letters.
Read a number as a sequence
The cell ⠼ introduces digits. The next cells use the shapes of a through j for 1 through 0: ⠼⠁⠃ is 12. A decimal point or comma can occur within that numeric sequence. A later a–j letter may need the letter indicator ⠰ to distinguish it from another digit. Use the Braille Translator to compare a complete label such as Room 12 rather than an isolated digit cell.
Keep the reading table with your source
Uncontracted text spells words letter by letter. Contracted text can use familiar-looking cells for whole words or word parts, so recognising the alphabet alone is not enough to read it. This Braille Translator has a basic uncontracted table and deliberately does not expand contractions. A page that says Grade 2, contracted, mathematics or music needs its corresponding code and reading conventions.
Use a Braille Translator result in a label or worksheet
For an alphabet exercise, write the English source next to the braille line and compare one word at a time. Check the first capital, every number marker and the spaces between words. If a cell appears unfamiliar, build its dots in the desk above and note its position in the sentence. That preserves the evidence you need to resolve it instead of replacing the cell with a guess.
For a label, finish the wording before deciding its physical size. Adding or removing words changes the number of cells, and indicators occupy cells of their own. The Braille Translator gives you visual Unicode text for inspection and copying; it does not choose line breaks, tactile spacing or an embossing specification. Keep a plain English version available when handing text to someone preparing the finished item.
A missing character box usually points to display support. Try a font that contains braille characters, but do not replace a missing cell with a drawn bullet pattern inside the copied text. A visual arrangement of dots and a Unicode braille cell are different kinds of content. Copying the final line into another app is a useful check that its cells and spaces survive the transfer.
Braille Translator: practical questions
Answers about source text, reading and using your result.
What does the Braille Translator convert?
This Braille Translator converts the English alphabet, digits, spaces and a small punctuation set into six-dot Unicode braille. Braille is a reading and writing code used for different languages, rather than a language of its own. This page uses basic uncontracted English letters; it does not apply word contractions or specialist mathematics notation.
How do I use the Braille Translator in both directions?
Enter English on the left and press Translate to create a braille line. Use the swap button to read a pasted line as English. Keep indicators with the cells that follow them: a number marker changes how the next letters are read. The cell desk can load a line into the input without submitting it.
Does the Braille Translator support Grade 2?
No. Grade 2, also called contracted braille, can use a cell or cell sequence for a word or part of a word. Some of those cells also belong to the basic alphabet. Pasting contracted text into an alphabet reader can therefore produce plausible-looking letters with a different meaning. Use an uncontracted source for this page.
Which punctuation can I enter?
The Braille Translator accepts commas, semicolons, colons, periods, exclamation marks, question marks, straight apostrophes and hyphens. Curly quotation marks, accented letters and other unsupported characters produce a message instead of being silently dropped. For a simple practice line, replace a typographic apostrophe with a straight one while keeping the original wording in your notes.
Can the Braille Translator read a photo of raised dots?
The input is text, not an image. Use the dot desk when you can identify the raised positions in a photographed cell, then append each cell in order. Check whether the photo shows the reading side or a mirrored writing diagram. A visual transcription still needs spaces and any capital or number indicators.
Will copied braille become tactile?
A Braille Translator result is a string of Unicode characters. An ordinary screen or printed sheet displays the dots visually; it does not emboss them. Tactile production needs suitable equipment and formatting. For a sign or learning handout, have the intended braille system and physical layout checked before producing the final embossed version.
Why do capital letters and numbers need extra cells?
A capital indicator changes the next letter; a doubled capital indicator marks an uppercase letter run. A number indicator lets the first ten letter cells stand for digits. The Braille Translator includes these indicators. If you remove them to make a line shorter, the remaining cells can be read as lowercase letters instead.
Is the Braille Translator free to use?
You can use this text tool without an account, with up to 500 input characters per request. A braille result may be longer because it includes indicators. Keep your source beside the result when copying it, and split longer practice text at a sentence boundary. The dot desk also limits its editable line to 500 characters.
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