BrailleChart

Reference

Common phrases in braille

Fourteen everyday phrases, each shown in both Grade 1 and Grade 2 so you can see exactly what the contractions change.

Every phrase

hello

Five letters and no contraction, so both grades write it the same way.

Grade 1 — 5 cells

Grade 2 — 5 cells, the same as Grade 1

“hello” in braille, cell by cell: ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5).

I love you

The capital I takes a capital sign, and in Grade 2 “you” is the single cell for y.

Grade 1 — 9 cells

Grade 2 — 7 cells, 2 fewer than Grade 1

“I love you” in braille, cell by cell: ⠠ capital sign (dot 6), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠧ v (dots 1-2-3-6), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠥ u (dots 1-3-6). In Grade 2: ⠠ capital sign (dot 6), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠧ v (dots 1-2-3-6), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠽ you (dots 1-3-4-5-6).

thank you

In Grade 2 the 'th' becomes one cell and 'you' contracts to a single y, so the contracted form is much shorter.

Grade 1 — 8 cells

Grade 2 — 5 cells, 3 fewer than Grade 1

“thank you” in braille, cell by cell: ⠞ t (dots 2-3-4-5), ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠅ k (dots 1-3), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠥ u (dots 1-3-6). In Grade 2: ⠹ th (dots 1-4-5-6), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠅ k (dots 1-3), ⠽ you (dots 1-3-4-5-6).

yes

Three letters, no contractions in either grade — useful for comparing Grade 1 and Grade 2 side by side.

Grade 1 — 3 cells

Grade 2 — 3 cells, the same as Grade 1

“yes” in braille, cell by cell: ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4).

no

Two cells in Grade 1. Watch out: a standalone n in Grade 2 means 'not', not 'no'.

Grade 1 — 2 cells

Grade 2 — 2 cells, the same as Grade 1

“no” in braille, cell by cell: ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5).

please

Contains 'ea', which Grade 2 writes as a single cell in the middle of a word.

Grade 1 — 6 cells

Grade 2 — 5 cells, 1 fewer than Grade 1

“please” in braille, cell by cell: ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4), ⠑ e (dots 1-5). In Grade 2: ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠂ ea (dot 2), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4), ⠑ e (dots 1-5).

sorry

No contraction applies, so both grades write five cells; the double r is the same cell twice.

Grade 1 — 5 cells

Grade 2 — 5 cells, the same as Grade 1

“sorry” in braille, cell by cell: ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6).

help

Short, high-contrast cells, and a word worth recognising instantly.

Grade 1 — 4 cells

Grade 2 — 4 cells, the same as Grade 1

“help” in braille, cell by cell: ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4).

good morning

Two words with a space between them, which is how you learn that a space is simply an empty cell.

Grade 1 — 11 cells

Grade 2 — 7 cells, 4 fewer than Grade 1

“good morning” in braille, cell by cell: ⠛ g (dots 1-2-4-5), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠙ d (dots 1-4-5), ⠍ m (dots 1-3-4), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠛ g (dots 1-2-4-5). In Grade 2: ⠛⠙ good (dots 1-2-4-5, then dots 1-4-5), ⠍ m (dots 1-3-4), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠬ ing (dots 3-4-6).

happy birthday

In Grade 2 both the 'th' and the 'day' in birthday contract, to one cell and two.

Grade 1 — 13 cells

Grade 2 — 11 cells, 2 fewer than Grade 1

“happy birthday” in braille, cell by cell: ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠃ b (dots 1-2), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠞ t (dots 2-3-4-5), ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠙ d (dots 1-4-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6). In Grade 2: ⠓ h (dots 1-2-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠃ b (dots 1-2), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠗ r (dots 1-2-3-5), ⠹ th (dots 1-4-5-6), ⠐⠙ day (dot 5, then dots 1-4-5).

SOS

All capitals, so it takes the capital word sign — two capital cells before the letters.

Grade 1 — 5 cells

Grade 2 — 5 cells, the same as Grade 1

“SOS” in braille, cell by cell: ⠠⠠ capital word sign (dot 6, then dot 6), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4).

my name is

Three words and therefore two spaces, each an empty cell of its own — the clearest demonstration on the site that a braille space is a full cell and not a narrower gap. In Grade 2 “name” standing alone is its own two-cell sign; “my” and “is” keep their letters.

Grade 1 — 8 cells

Grade 2 — 6 cells, 2 fewer than Grade 1

“my name is” in braille, cell by cell: ⠍ m (dots 1-3-4), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠝ n (dots 1-3-4-5), ⠁ a (dot 1), ⠍ m (dots 1-3-4), ⠑ e (dots 1-5), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4). In Grade 2: ⠍ m (dots 1-3-4), ⠽ y (dots 1-3-4-5-6), ⠐⠝ name (dot 5, then dots 1-3-4-5), ⠊ i (dots 2-4), ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4).

love

In Grade 2 it stays four cells — none of its letter groups has a contraction.

Grade 1 — 4 cells

Grade 2 — 4 cells, the same as Grade 1

“love” in braille, cell by cell: ⠇ l (dots 1-2-3), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠧ v (dots 1-2-3-6), ⠑ e (dots 1-5).

stop

The st that opens it is one cell in Grade 2 — a clean demonstration of a groupsign in a short word.

Grade 1 — 4 cells

Grade 2 — 3 cells, 1 fewer than Grade 1

“stop” in braille, cell by cell: ⠎ s (dots 2-3-4), ⠞ t (dots 2-3-4-5), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4). In Grade 2: ⠌ st (dots 3-4), ⠕ o (dots 1-3-5), ⠏ p (dots 1-2-3-4).

Want something else?

The translator handles any text, and the name generator breaks a name down letter by letter.