How to Read Braille: A Beginner's Guide to the Six-Dot Alphabet
2026-06-29
Braille represents letters with raised dots arranged in a cell of six positions — two columns of three. Which dots are raised determines the character: A is a single dot (⠁), B adds the dot below it (⠃), C uses the top two (⠉). Louis Braille designed the system in 1824, when he was just fifteen.
The first ten letters (A–J) use only the top four dot positions. The next ten (K–T) repeat the same patterns with one bottom dot added, and most of the rest add the second bottom dot. Once you see that structure, the alphabet becomes far less intimidating to memorize.
Capitals and numbers
Braille has no separate uppercase letters. Instead, a capital indicator (⠠) is placed before a letter to capitalize it. Numbers work similarly: a number sign (⠼) signals that the following letters A–J should be read as digits 1–0. So ⠼⠁⠃ reads as '12'.
What most people call 'braille' in books is actually Grade 2 — a contracted form full of abbreviations that saves space. Grade 1 (uncontracted) braille, where every letter is spelled out, is where everyone starts.
Practice with a translator
A quick way to build familiarity is converting text you already know. Our braille translator produces Grade 1 braille with proper capital and number indicators, and decodes braille patterns back to text — useful for checking your reading as you learn.