Braille grammar has similarities to print grammar. It also has many extra rules pertaining to the extra necessary Braille symbols. These symbols take the place of visuals in print to designate capital letters, italics, numbers, and other visual formats.
There are a lot of fancy names for the different types of contractions. And lots of specific rules for their use in writing. There are many braille differences from print. For instance, capital letters have to be signified by an extra symbol.
The pdf document is designed to help you recognize and read documents already written by others. It only shares the most common braille symbols. There are more for more specific needs.
If you intend to write in Braille, please research those writing rules through more indepth programs.
Just writing in a regular font and switching it to a braille font does not always work as intended, except through a braille display or screen reader program. Even then, it may not follow all the rules.
*** This has been copied from the text document. Braille symbols are only visible on the PDF document.
Braille Letters
This document uses font Braille AOE.
The Braille alphabet is different from the regular alphabet in that capital letters need an extra symbol, rather than a different shape. Also, there is an indicator for multiple capital letters in a row.
Capital Letter Indicator
Multiple Capital Letter Indicator (UEB)
Lower Case Letters
a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Capital Letters
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Letter Sign Words
One letter equals a word.
b but but
c can can
d do do
e every every
f from from
g go go
h have have
j just just
k knowledge knowledge
l like like
m more more
n not not
p people people
q quite quite
r rather rather
s so so
t that that
u us us
v very very
w will will
x it it
y you you
z as as
Contractions - Strong Word Signs
A single sign that equals a whole word.
C child child
U out out
S shall shall
Z still still
T this this
W which which
Contractions - Strong Group Signs
A shortcut which represents a pair of letters within a word.
A ar ar
C ch, ch
D ed ed
R er er
H gh gh
G ing ing
U ou ou
O ow ow
S sh sh
Z st st
T th th
W wh wh
Lower Word Signs
Lower braille letter symbols that equal a word.
^lower ^word ^signs
^lower braille letter symbols that equal a word.
B be, be
N enough enough
? his his
I in in
Y was was
) were, were
Lower Group Signs
Lower Braille letter symbols that equal a set of letters within a word.
B bb bb
B be be
K cc cc
K con con
. Dis dis
E ea ea
N en en
! ff ff
) gg gg
I in in
Two Sign Contractions
The first symbol has a single dot in the middle of the right column. Sometimes called a middle right A. The second symbol is usually the first letter of the word.
@d day day
@e ever ever
@f father father
@h here here
@k know know
@l lord lord
@m mother mother
@n name name
@o one one
@p part part
@q question question
@r right right
@s some some
@t time time
@u under under
@w work work
@y young young
@+ there there
@C character character
@T through through
@W where where
@U ought ought
Two Sign Contractions
The first symbol has two dots in the top and middle of the right column. Sometimes called a right B. The second symbol is usually the first letter of the word.
=+ these these
=T those those
=W whose whose
=w word word
=u upon upon
Two Sign Contractions
The first symbol has three dots on the right column. Sometimes called a right L. The second symbol is usually the first letter of the word.
|c cannot cannot
|h had had
|m many many
|s spirit spirit
|+ their their
|w world world
Two Sign Word Ending Contractions
The first symbol has two dots in the top and bottom of the right column. Sometimes called a right K.
_d ound ound
_e ance ance
_n sion sion
_s less less
_t ount ount
Two Sign Word Ending Contractions
The first symbol has two dots in the middle bottom of the right column. Sometimes called a lower right B.
\e ence ence
\l ful ful
\y ity ity
\t ment ment
\s ness ness
\g ong ong
\n tion tion
Multi-Sign Letter A Contractions (Short Forms)
The first symbol has a single dot in the A position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
ab about about
abv above above
ac acAccording according
acr across across
af after after
afn afternoon afternoon
afw afterward afterward
ag again again
agZ against against
al also also
alm almost almost
alr already already
alT although although
alt altogether altogether
alw always always
Multi-Sign Letter B Contractions
The first symbol has a two dots in the lower left B position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
Bc because because
Bf before before
Bh behind behind
Bl below below
Bn beneath beneath
Bs beside beside
Bt between between
By beyond beyond
bl blind blind
^brl ^braille Braille
Multi-Sign Letter C Contractions
The first symbol usually has two dots in the middle C position. The second (third, and fourth) symbol varies.
Cn children children
Kcv conceive conceive
Kcvg conceiving conceiving
cd could could
Multi-Sign Letter D Contractions
The first symbol is in the D position. The second (third, and fourth) symbol varies.
dcv deceive deceive
dcvg deceiving deceiving
dcl declare declare
dclg declaring declaring
Multi-Sign Letter E Contraction
The first symbol is in the E position. The second symbol is the letter I.
ei either either
Multi-Sign Letter F Contractions
The first symbol has a single dot in the F position. The second symbol varies.
fr friend friend
fZ first first
Multi-Sign Letter G Contractions
The first symbol is in the G position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
gd good good
grt great great
Multi-Sign Letter H Contractions
The first symbol is in the H position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
hRf herself herself
hm him him
hmf himself himself
Multi-Sign Letter I Contractions
The first symbol is in the I position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
imm immediate immediate
xs its its
xf itself itself
Multi-Sign Letter L Contractions
The first symbol is in the L position. The second symbol varies.
lr letter letter
ll little little
Multi-Sign Letter M Contractions
The first symbol is in the M position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
mC muchmuch
m/ must must
myf myself myself
Multi-Sign Letter N Contraction
The first symbol is in the N position. The second symbol is an E, and the third symbol varies.
nec necessary necessary
nei neither neither
Multi-Sign Letter O Contractions
The first symbol is in the O position. The second (third and fourth) symbol varies.
@of oneself oneself
Urvs ourselves ourselves
Multi-Sign Letter P Contractions
The first symbol is in the P position. The second (third, fourth, and fifth) symbol varies.
pd paid paid
pRh perhaps perhaps
pRcv perceive perceive
pRcvg perceiving perceiving
Multi-Sign Letter Q Contraction
The first symbol is in the Q position. The second symbol is a right column K.
qk quick quick
Multi-Sign Letter R Contractions
The first symbol is in the R position. The second (third and fourth) symbol varies
rcv receive receive
rcvg receiving receiving
rjc rejoice rejoice
rjcg rejoicing rejoicing
Multi-Sign Letter S Contractions
The first symbol is in the S position. The second (and third) symbol varies.
sd said said
Sd should should
sC such such
Multi-Sign Letter T Contractions
The first symbol is in the T position. The second (third, and fourth) symbol varies.
+mvs themselves themselves
Tyf thyself thyself
td today today
tgr together together
tm tomorrow tomorrow
tn tonight tonight
Multi-Sign Letter W Contraction
The first symbol has a single dot in the W position. The second symbol is a D.
wd would would
Multi-Sign Letter Y Contractions
The first symbol is in the Y position. The second (third, and fourth) symbol varies.
yr your your
yrf yourself yourself
yrvs yourselves yourselves
Punctuation
Create your own pattern recognition options.
While some of the Braille symbols match, or resemble their print counterparts, others have no relationship, even though they could have been similar, or almost identical.
Writing
' apostrophe ' apostrophe
^ capital letter capital letter
, comma , comma
K colon : colon
=c copyright copyright
Punctuation - Writing
^M dash - dash
^^ double capital letter double capital letter
$$$ ellipses ... ellipses
! Exclamation mark ! exclamation mark
M hyphen - hyphen
=% paragraph paragraph
@A close parentheses ) close parentheses
@H open parentheses ( open parentheses
$ period . period
? Question mark ? question mark
=? open quote " open quote
=" close quote " close quote
B semicolon ; semicolon
Money and Numbers
Create your own pattern recognition options.
`a at symbol @ at symbol
|C backslash \ backslash
`c cent cent
|T crosshatch # crosshatch
$ decimal point . decimal point
@Z division division
`s dollar sign $ dollar sign
|Z forward slash / forward slash
_" percent % percent
=t trademark trademark
Braille Punctuation Changes
Sign Name
* Asterisk *
_ Dash - Long _
- Dash - Short -
. Decimal Point .
$ Dollar Sign $
... Ellipsis ...
) Parenthesis (Close) )
( Parenthesis (Open) (
% Percent %
" Quote Marks (Double Close) "
" Quote Marks (Double Open) "
' Quote Mark (Single Close) '
' Quote Mark (Single Open) '
] Square Brackets (Close) ]
[ Square Brackets (Open) [
Numbers
The Number symbol is #.
#1 one 1 one - a
#2 two 2 two - b
#3 three 3 three - c
#4 four 4 four - d
#5 five 5 five - e
#6 six 6 six - f
#7 seven 7 seven - g
#8 eight 8 eight - h
#9 nine 9 nine - i
#0 zero 0 zero - j
Various Number Examples
10
100
1,000
568.32
$25.00
$100.00
1,234.67
12/25/20 12/25/20 Calendar Date
May 2, 2020 Calendar Date
000-000-0000 Phone
(000) 000-0000 Phone
3:00 pm Time
2nd
Dropped Braille Contractions (From 2016 EBAE)
ally
ation
ble
by
com
dd
into
o'clock
to
Italics Rules
Sign Name
Italic Sign Double
Italic Sign Single
Italic Sign Symbol
Italic Word
Italic Passage
Italic Indicator
Comments