Braille Translator
Use this free Braille translator to convert English text to uncontracted Unicode Braille or decode supported Braille back to English. Type, paste, or build six-dot cells with the interactive Braille keyboard, then copy the result instantly.
English text
10 / 5,000Unicode Braille
12 cellsBraille keyboard
Build a cell or choose a known key.
Compose
Select dots
How Braille cells work
A standard six-dot Braille cell has two columns and three rows. The positions are numbered down the left side first, then down the right.
A pattern is described by the dots that are raised. The letter a uses dot 1, while h uses dots 1-2-5.
The composer above follows this exact numbering, so you can create a cell directly instead of searching for it in a list.
Braille alphabet A–Z
These are the lowercase six-dot letter cells used by the translator. Uppercase letters use a capital indicator before the letter.
Numbers reuse letter cells
Braille does not need ten completely separate digit shapes. Digits 1 through 0 use the same basic cells as letters a through j.
The numeric indicator⠼changes how the following cells are interpreted.
A continuous number normally needs one numeric indicator at its beginning. For example, 2026 becomes⠼⠃⠚⠃⠋.
0
⠼⠚
1
⠼⠁
2
⠼⠃
3
⠼⠉
4
⠼⠙
5
⠼⠑
6
⠼⠋
7
⠼⠛
8
⠼⠓
9
⠼⠊
Capitals and indicators
Some Braille cells change the meaning of what follows. The translator handles the indicators below explicitly so text can round-trip without silently guessing.
Capital
Marks the following supported letter as uppercase.
Number
Introduces Braille cells that should be read as digits.
Grade 1
Disambiguates a following letter in grade-1 context.
Punctuation and common symbols
Some symbols use one cell while others require a prefix plus another cell. The keyboard and translator share the same mappings, so the visual reference does not drift away from the conversion logic.
Comma
,
Period
.
Question mark
?
Exclamation mark
!
Semicolon
;
Colon
:
Apostrophe
'
Double quotation mark
"
Hyphen
-
Opening parenthesis
(
Closing parenthesis
)
Opening square bracket
[
Closing square bracket
]
Opening curly bracket
{
Closing curly bracket
}
Forward slash
/
Backslash
\
Vertical bar
|
Backtick
`
Underscore
_
At sign
@
Ampersand
&
Number sign
#
Percent sign
%
Dollar sign
$
Cent sign
¢
Euro sign
€
Pound sterling sign
£
Yen sign
¥
Plus sign
+
Minus sign
−
Equals sign
=
Multiplication sign
×
Division sign
÷
Asterisk
*
Less-than sign
<
Greater-than sign
>
Caret
^
Tilde
~
Copyright sign
©
Registered sign
®
Trademark sign
™
Degree sign
°
Bullet
•
Uncontracted is not contracted Braille
This translator focuses on supported uncontracted English Braille. Words are represented mainly letter by letter, with the indicators and symbols shown on this page.
Contracted Braille uses wordsigns, groupsigns, shortforms, and contextual rules. It cannot be reproduced correctly by simply replacing letters with cells.
That is why this tool does not advertise complete Grade 2 or complete UEB transcription.
Important distinction
Unicode Braille is visual text
Unicode Braille characters describe dot patterns on a screen. They do not physically raise dots.
Real tactile Braille requires physical production and can also require transcription, formatting, pagination, specialist notation, and human review depending on the document.
Do not treat this page as certified production software for textbooks, examinations, medicine, public signage, legal documents, or other accessibility-critical material.
Braille translation examples
Word and year
Text
Hello 2026
Braille
⠠⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕⠀⠼⠃⠚⠃⠋
The capital H gets an indicator and one numeric indicator starts the complete year.
A name
Text
Olivia
Braille
⠠⠕⠇⠊⠧⠊⠁
Only the initial O needs a capital indicator.
Email-style text
Text
hello@test.com
Braille
⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕⠈⠁⠞⠑⠎⠞⠲⠉⠕⠍
The translator keeps the supported at sign and period as proper Braille sequences.
Decimal number
Text
3.14
Braille
⠼⠉⠲⠁⠙
Numeric interpretation continues through the decimal point.
Braille Translator FAQ
How do I translate English into Braille?
Type supported English text into the English editor. The Unicode Braille editor updates immediately with the matching uncontracted Braille sequence.
Can I translate Braille back to English?
Yes. Type or paste supported Unicode Braille into the Braille editor and the English editor updates with the decoded text.
How does the six-dot composer work?
Select any combination of dots 1 through 6. The composer creates the matching Unicode Braille pattern. Press Add to insert that cell into the Braille editor.
Can every six-dot pattern be translated into English?
No. The composer can create any six-dot Unicode Braille pattern, but this translator only assigns English meaning to the documented subset it supports.
How are Braille dots numbered?
Dots 1, 2, and 3 run from top to bottom in the left column. Dots 4, 5, and 6 run from top to bottom in the right column.
How are numbers written in Braille?
Digits reuse the same basic cells as letters a through j. A numeric indicator tells the reader that the following cells should be interpreted as digits.
Does this support contracted or Grade 2 Braille?
No. The translator focuses on supported uncontracted English Braille. It does not generate or decode contractions, wordsigns, groupsigns, or shortforms.
Is Unicode Braille the same as tactile Braille?
No. Unicode Braille characters visually encode dot patterns in digital text. Tactile Braille requires physical raised dots produced with an appropriate tactile process.
Can I copy the Braille result?
Yes. Use the copy icon in the Unicode Braille editor to copy the current Braille text.
Can this read Braille from a photograph?
No. This tool works with typed Unicode Braille and the interactive six-dot composer. It does not perform image recognition.
References
The translator and educational material are scoped against current UEB and Unicode references rather than an arbitrary character-substitution chart.