---
title: "Braille Translator, Grade 1 UEB | Kindness Junction"
description: "Translate English to Unified English Braille (grade 1, uncontracted) and back, download a .brf file, and print a large dot-diagram sheet."
url: https://kindnessjunction.sbs/
---

# Braille translator

Type or paste English to see it in Unified English Braille, letter for letter, with capitals, numbers and punctuation written the way the official rulebook sets out. Or paste braille to read it back.

## Printable dot sheet

**Printing is not embossing.** An ordinary printer makes flat ink dots that cannot be read by touch. Use this sheet to learn, teach or check braille by eye. For tactile braille, send the .brf file to a braille embosser, or write it with a brailler or a slate and stylus.

## Quick reference

- a dots 1⠁
- b dots 12⠃
- c dots 14⠉
- d dots 145⠙
- e dots 15⠑
- f dots 124⠋
- g dots 1245⠛
- h dots 125⠓
- i dots 24⠊
- j dots 245⠚
- k dots 13⠅
- l dots 123⠇
- m dots 134⠍
- n dots 1345⠝
- o dots 135⠕
- p dots 1234⠏
- q dots 12345⠟
- r dots 1235⠗
- s dots 234⠎
- t dots 2345⠞
- u dots 136⠥
- v dots 1236⠧
- w dots 2456⠺
- x dots 1346⠭
- y dots 13456⠽
- z dots 1356⠵

- A capital⠠
- AB capital word⠠⠠
- # number sign⠼
- 1 digit 1⠼⠁
- 0 digit 0⠼⠚
- grade 1 indicator⠰
- , comma⠂
- . full stop⠲
- ? question mark⠦
- ! exclamation mark⠖
- ' apostrophe⠄
- - hyphen⠤
- : colon⠒
- ; semicolon⠆
- “ opening quote⠦
- ” closing quote⠴

## How the translation works

This is grade 1 (uncontracted) Unified English Braille: every letter is written out, with no contractions. A dot 6 cell **⠠** marks a capital, two of them a whole word in capitals, and three a passage of three or more capitalised words, closed with ⠠⠄. Numbers start with the number sign ⠼ and use the letters a to j as digits. After a number, a lowercase a to j needs the grade 1 indicator ⠰, so 3c is ⠼⠉⠰⠉, and so does a question mark in an unusual place.

Print sometimes cannot be decided by rule alone: whether ' is an apostrophe or a quotation mark, whether — is a dash or a long dash. The translator follows the rulebook's guidance for software, but a braille transcriber should check anything that will be published.

## Braille to text

Switch to Braille to text and paste Unicode braille (or braille ASCII from a .brf file). On a device without a braille keyboard, tick dots 1 to 6 and add cells one at a time.

## Sources

- International Council on English Braille. *The Rules of Unified English Braille*, third edition, 2024 (sections 4 to 8 and 5.11). [iceb.org/publications/ueb](https://iceb.org/publications/ueb/)
- Braille ASCII character set used in .brf files: [Braille ASCII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille_ASCII), Wikipedia.

## More tools at this junction

Each tool has its own page, works with a keyboard and screen reader, and keeps working offline once loaded.

- [ASL fingerspelling chart & practice](https://kindnessjunction.sbs/asl-fingerspelling/): All 26 handshapes with plain descriptions, then practise reading words at your own speed.
- [Plain-language & readability checker](https://kindnessjunction.sbs/readability-checker/): Reading ease, grade level, long sentences, passive voice and plainer words, highlighted in your text.
- [Large-print sign maker](https://kindnessjunction.sbs/large-print-sign-maker/): Huge, high-contrast text that fills the page, with arrows and presets, ready to print.

## Recommended

Two free tools from elsewhere that are useful when you look after a website, a newsletter or an event.

### Check your site's security headers

Accessibility and security both start with a well-built page. WebTraceCheck's free security headers check reads a site's Content-Security-Policy, HSTS, Referrer-Policy and more, and its website audit lists the page's metadata, so you can see what a page sends before you share it.

[Run a security headers check](https://webtracecheck.com/security-headers-check)

### Test sign-up emails without filling your inbox

Running a newsletter or an event sign-up? Use a temporary address from CleanTempMail to go through the form as a reader would and read the confirmation email they get. There is no account, and the inbox deletes itself after three days.

[Open a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/)

## Questions

**Is this the same as grade 2 braille?**

No. Grade 2 (contracted) braille shortens common words and letter groups, and most adult braille readers use it. Grade 1 spells everything out, which suits beginners, labels, names and short signs.

**Can I emboss the .brf file?**

Yes. A .brf file holds braille ASCII, 40 cells per line and 25 lines per page, which braille embossers and many braille displays read directly. Check your embosser's settings for line length.

**Why do some characters stay as print?**

A few characters have no symbol in this translator, such as emoji or the vertical bar. They are kept as they are and listed under the braille so you can decide what to do with them.