Numbers
The number 3 in braille
3 is the number sign followed by the letter c — dots 1 and 4.
Number sign + c
Dots 3-4-5-6, then dots 1-4
Why it uses a letter
After a number sign the cell for c reads as 3; without one it is the letter c — see C in braille.
3 inside larger numbers
One number sign covers the whole run: 3, 13 and 300 each take one.
3
13
300
3 in everyday writing
| Written | In braille | What the cells do |
|---|---|---|
| 3 June | a space ends the number | |
| 3.5 | a decimal point does not — no second number sign | |
| 3cm | c is a digit letter, so it takes the letter sign — without it these cells read as “33m” | |
| 3kg | k is not a digit letter, so nothing extra is needed |
Braille numbers sets out the rule behind all four.
What is particular to 3
The same cell with no number sign
It is the letter c, and standing alone in a Grade 2 text it is the word “can”. So ⠼⠉ is 3, and ⠉ between two spaces is “can”.
3rd
3rd is ⠼⠉⠗⠙. The r that follows the digit is not one of the digit letters a to j, so nothing has to separate it from the number. “3d” is different: ⠼⠉⠰⠙, with a letter sign, because a d straight after a digit would be read as another digit, 4.
One dot away, and mirrored
After the number sign, 3 is dots 1-4. Add one dot and it is 4 (dots 1-4-5) or 6 (dots 1-2-4). Take one away and it is 1 (dot 1). Mirrored left to right the cell is unchanged, so it is punched on a slate exactly as it is read.
3 in braille as an image
Both cells as a picture: the number sign, then the letter c at dots 1-4.
