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Writer's pictureAbby Brown

Braille Grammar - UEB

Updated: Oct 8

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






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