Reference

Numbers in braille

Braille has no separate digits. The number sign switches the letters a to j into the digits 1 to 9 and 0, and everything after it reads as a number until a space.

The number sign — dots 3-4-5-6

Turns the following letters a-j into the digits 1-9 and 0.

The ten digits
DigitLetterCellDotsWritten in full
0j2-4-5
1a1
2b1-2
3c1-4
4d1-4-5
5e1-5
6f1-2-4
7g1-2-4-5
8h1-2-5
9i2-4

Writing longer numbers

A run of digits takes one number sign, not one per digit. The year 2026 is the number sign followed by b, j, b, f — four cells after a single indicator.

The number sign stays in effect until a space or a letter interrupts it, which is why a letter immediately after digits sometimes needs a letter sign (dots 5-6) to make clear it is a letter and not another digit.

2026

⠼⠃⠚⠃⠋

42

⠼⠙⠃

Where you will meet this

Lift buttons are the commonest place. A floor number beside a lift button is the number sign plus the letter for that digit, which is why the button for floor 1 reads as the number sign followed by the letter a — see braille on signs and lifts.