What is Braille?
Braille is a tactile writing system used by people who are blind or have low vision. Each character is a "cell" of up to six raised dots arranged in two columns of three, read by touch. It was invented in 1824 by Louis Braille, a French teenager who lost his sight as a child. Braille is used for books, signs, lift buttons, medicine packaging and on refreshable Braille displays connected to computers and phones.
How to use the converter
- Type English text. The Braille version appears using Unicode Braille characters, which you can copy into documents and messages.
- Keep Mark capital letters ticked to add the capital sign before uppercase letters.
- To read Braille, paste Unicode Braille cells into the input and click Braille → Text.
How the dots are arranged
Dots are numbered 1–2–3 down the left column and 4–5–6 down the right. The first ten letters, a to j, use only the top four dots. The next ten, k to t, add dot 3 to those patterns, and u, v, x, y and z add dots 3 and 6. W is the exception, because French did not use it when Braille was created.
| Sign | Cell | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Number sign | ⠼ | The letters a–j that follow mean the digits 1–0 |
| Capital sign | ⠠ | The next letter is uppercase |
| Letter sign | ⠰ | Return to letters straight after a number |
So "2026" is written ⠼⠃⠚⠃⠋: the number sign followed by b, j, b, f.
Grade 1 and Grade 2 Braille
This tool produces Grade 1 (uncontracted) Braille, where every letter is spelled out. Most experienced readers use Grade 2 (Unified English Braille contracted), which uses shortcuts for common words and letter groups, like a single cell for "and" or "the". Grade 2 follows many context rules, so official documents should be prepared by a certified Braille transcriber.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print this for a blind reader?
Ordinary printing produces flat dots that cannot be felt. Real Braille needs an embosser or Braille paper and stylus. The Unicode output is ideal for screen display, teaching and design mockups.
Is there Braille for Indian languages?
Yes. Bharati Braille is used for Hindi, Marathi and other Indian languages. This tool covers English only.
Why do some characters stay unchanged?
Symbols without a simple Grade 1 equivalent here, such as @ or #, are left as they are.