UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 13, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free online braille translator does
This free braille translator turns English text into braille, and braille back into text, directly in your browser. Type a sentence and you get Unicode braille you can copy into a document, an ASCII braille (BRF) file for braille displays and embossers, and a picture of the raised and flat dots in each cell so you can see how the characters are built. It supports Grade 1 (uncontracted) braille and a practical subset of Grade 2 contractions based on Unified English Braille.
Students use it to practise the braille alphabet. Teachers and parents use it to label items and make learning materials. Designers use it to mock up tactile signs, and curious people use it to write their name or a message in braille. Because nothing is uploaded, it is also safe for private text.
How to use the braille translator
- Text to braille. Enter text, pick Grade 1 or Grade 2, and choose how many cells fit on a line (28, 32, 40 or 80). The output wraps at word boundaries.
- Copy or download. Copy the Unicode braille, download it as a .txt file, or download a .brf file for embossing or a braille display.
- Check the dots. The dot pattern strip shows the first 30 cells as picture cells with the source letter underneath.
- Braille to text. Paste braille characters or ASCII braille and read the plain text.
- Chart and builder. Search the alphabet, numbers, punctuation and contractions, or tick dots to build any cell and see what it means.
- Print or save. Print / save as PDF, download CSV or copy the result.
How the braille cell works
A braille cell has six positions arranged in two columns of three. The dots are numbered 1, 2, 3 down the left column and 4, 5, 6 down the right. Each of the 63 possible patterns of raised dots is a different character. The letters a to j use only the top four positions (dots 1, 2, 4 and 5). The letters k to t add dot 3. The letters u, v, x, y and z add dots 3 and 6, and w is a special case. Learning this pattern is the quickest way to memorise the alphabet.
| Letters | Pattern |
|---|---|
| a b c d e f g h i j | Dots 1, 2, 4, 5 only |
| k l m n o p q r s t | The same as a to j with dot 3 added |
| u v x y z | The same as a to e with dots 3 and 6 added |
| w | Dots 2, 4, 5, 6 (added later because French had no w) |
Computer braille adds dots 7 and 8 below the six-dot cell, giving 256 patterns. This tool uses the standard six-dot cell that English braille needs.
Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille
| Feature | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling | Every letter is written out | Contractions replace common words and letter groups |
| Length | Longest | About 20 to 30% shorter |
| Used for | Learning, names, abbreviations, e-mail addresses | Books, magazines, signs, most everyday braille |
| Examples | t-h-e = three cells | the = one cell, ch = one cell, about = ab |
Grade 2 has three main kinds of contraction. Wordsigns stand for a whole word, such as ⠮ for the or the letter b alone for but. Groupsigns stand for a group of letters inside a word, such as ⠡ for ch and ⠬ for ing. Shortforms are abbreviations of common words, such as ab for about and gd for good. Correct Grade 2 also depends on rules about where a contraction may or may not be used, which is why a human transcriber is needed for formal work.
How numbers, capitals and punctuation are written
| Item | Braille | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capital letter | ⠠ before the letter | Dot 6 |
| Capital word | ⠠⠠ before the word | For all-capital words of two or more letters |
| Number | ⠼ then a to j | 1 is ⠼⠁, 10 is ⠼⠁⠚ |
| Decimal point | ⠨ | 3.14 is ⠼⠉⠨⠁⠙ |
| Period, comma | ⠲ and ⠂ | Different from the decimal point |
| Question and exclamation | ⠦ and ⠖ | Share cells with other signs, so context matters |
| Quotation marks | ⠘⠦ and ⠘⠴ | Two cells each in UEB |
The number sign carries on through a run of digits, so 2026 needs only one number sign. A letter sign (dots 56) is added when a letter from a to j follows a number directly, so 5a does not read as 51.
Unicode braille, ASCII braille and BRF files
Braille can be stored in two ways. Unicode braille uses the braille patterns block, U+2800 to U+28FF, so each cell is a real braille character. It displays on screen with the dot picture and is useful in documents and web pages. ASCII braille (the North American braille ASCII table) maps each of the 64 six-dot patterns to a printable character, for example A for dot 1, B for dots 1 and 2 and the digit 1 for dot 2. A text file containing this encoding is saved as .brf (braille ready format), the standard that embossers and refreshable braille displays accept. This tool exports lines at the width you choose with Windows-style line endings.
What people use braille translators for
- Learning. Convert practice sentences and check your reading against the dot pictures.
- Names and labels. Write a name or a short label in Grade 1 for a card, a spice jar or a door label.
- Teaching materials. Teachers of students with visual impairments prepare drafts for the transcriber.
- Design and signage mock-ups. See how long a word will be in cells before ordering a sign.
- Accessibility awareness. Show colleagues and classes how braille works.
- Gifts and crafts. Beads, bracelets and 3D-printed charms with a name or message.
Tips for accurate braille
- Use Grade 1 for names, codes, email addresses and anything that must be read exactly.
- Keep sentences clean. Remove odd characters such as emoji, which have no braille.
- Pick the line length your embosser or display uses (40 and 32 are the most common).
- Proofread numbers: check that a number sign appears and that a following letter a to j has a letter sign.
- For Grade 2 that must be correct, ask a certified braille transcriber to review the file.
- Test the BRF on the device you will use before producing many copies.
Braille on signs and the ADA
Public buildings in many countries must have tactile signs with Grade 2 braille. In the United States the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design require braille on permanent room and space signs, using Grade 2, with dot size and spacing within defined ranges, and rules for position and mounting height. Those requirements are about the physical sign, not just the text. A web translator can help you draft the words but it cannot produce a compliant sign. Ask a sign manufacturer that supplies ADA-compliant braille and have the text verified.
A short history of braille
Louis Braille (1809 to 1852) lost his sight in childhood and entered the Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. He adapted the twelve-dot night writing system of Charles Barbier into a six-dot cell that a fingertip can feel at once. His alphabet was ready in 1824. Braille became the standard reading and writing system for blind people worldwide and was adapted to nearly every language. Unified English Braille, developed in the 1990s and 2000s, aligned English braille with technical and computer notation. Refreshable braille displays and screen readers now let blind users read and write digital text in braille.
Limits of this translator
It does not translate mathematics, music, chemistry, computer code or foreign languages, and it does not format headings, lists, tables or page numbers in the way a braille book does. Accented letters, emoji and some symbols have no mapping and are replaced with a blank cell and listed in a warning. The Grade 2 subset is based on common UEB rules but is not complete.
Privacy
All translation is done locally in your browser. Your text is not uploaded, logged or shared. Downloads are created on your device.
Related free tools
Use these free online tools together with this one:
- Hear text read aloud with the text to speech reader.
- Write useful descriptions for images with the alt text checker.
- Add captions to your videos with the closed caption generator.
- Learn the braille cells by turning them into cards with the flashcard generator.
- Count the words in a text before you translate it with the word counter.
- Link a printed sign to an audio or large-print version with the QR code generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I translate English text to braille?
Paste or type your text, choose Grade 1 or Grade 2 and the line length, and the braille appears instantly in Unicode. Copy it, download it as a text file, or download a BRF file for braille displays and embossers.
What is the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille?
Grade 1 is uncontracted: every letter has its own cell, so it is easy to learn and to read back. Grade 2 uses contractions and short forms, such as one cell for the word the or for the letters ch, to make braille shorter and faster to read. Most braille books and signs use Grade 2.
Does this tool use Unified English Braille?
Yes. Letters, numbers, capitals and punctuation follow Unified English Braille (UEB), which replaced older English braille codes in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Nigeria and is being adopted in the United States. Grade 2 uses a subset of UEB contractions.
Is the Grade 2 translation complete and certified?
No. It applies a common subset of wordsigns, groupsigns and shortforms and does not implement every UEB rule, so some words will be written with fewer contractions than a transcriber would use. Always have a qualified braille transcriber check formal, published, legal or safety-critical material.
How are numbers and capital letters written?
A number sign (dots 3456) comes before digits, which reuse the cells for the letters a to j. A capital sign (dot 6) comes before a capital letter, and two capital signs before an all-capital word. A letter sign (dots 56) separates a number from a following letter a to j.
What is a BRF file?
BRF means braille ready format. It is a plain text file in which each ASCII character stands for a braille cell, so it can be sent to an embosser or read on a refreshable braille display. This tool creates BRF text using the standard North American braille ASCII table, with lines of the length you choose.
What is the difference between Unicode braille and ASCII braille?
Unicode braille uses real braille characters (U+2800 to U+28FF) that can be shown on screen in any font that supports them. ASCII braille uses ordinary letters and symbols to represent the same cells, which is what embossers and displays expect in BRF files.
Why do I see boxes instead of braille dots?
Your device's font may not include braille patterns. Modern Windows, macOS, iOS and Android systems do. If not, install a font such as DejaVu Sans or Noto Sans Symbols 2, or use the dot pattern pictures under the output.
Can I translate braille back to text?
Yes. Paste Unicode braille or ASCII braille into the Braille to text tab. Grade 1 is read reliably. Contracted braille is ambiguous without context, so the optional contraction expansion is approximate.
Can I print braille on a normal printer?
A normal printer prints braille characters as flat black dots, which a person cannot read by touch. For tactile braille you need an embosser, a braille label maker, a 3D printer or a braille transcription service. The BRF download is the file those devices expect.
How many dots are in a braille cell?
A standard braille cell has six dots arranged in two columns of three, giving 63 possible patterns. Computer braille extends this to eight dots (256 patterns) with two extra dots at the bottom.
Who invented braille?
Louis Braille, a French teacher who became blind as a child, developed the system in 1824 at the age of fifteen, building on an earlier night-writing system. World Braille Day is held on January 4, his birthday.
Is braille available for other languages?
Yes, but this tool covers English. Other languages use different tables for accented letters and contractions, so a general English translator will not be accurate for them.
How do I write a name in braille?
Use Grade 1 for names, because contractions are usually avoided in proper names, and capitalise the first letter. Many braille learners translate their name or a short phrase to practise the alphabet.
Are braille signs required by law?
Many countries require tactile braille signage in public buildings, such as the ADA Standards in the United States. Those rules specify the braille grade, dot size, spacing and position, so signs should be made by a qualified supplier, not from a free online translator.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The translation runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.
What can I print or save?
Print / save as PDF, CSV and Copy summary work for the tab you are viewing. The translation tab also offers a Unicode text download and a BRF download.
Sources and further reading
- Braille Authority of North America and the International Council on English Braille, Unified English Braille guidelines, for the UEB signs, wordsigns, groupsigns and shortforms used.
- Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, braille codes and braille ASCII (BRF) information.
- Unicode Standard, Braille Patterns block (U+2800 to U+28FF), for the character encoding.
- United States Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, section 703 on tactile signs and braille.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.