How to convert text to Braille
Type or paste letters, digits, spaces, line breaks, or supported punctuation into Text or Braille input. Select Text → Braille to encode it, or Braille → Text to decode it. The converter uses Grade 1, uncontracted rules and reports characters it skips or maps ambiguously.
- Enter text or Braille in Text or Braille input, or select Upload for a
.txtortext/plainfile. - Under Conversion direction, select Auto-detect, Text → Braille, or Braille → Text.
- Under Braille format, select Unicode Braille (⠃⠗⠇) or ASCII Braille (NABCC).
- Read Braille conversion result, then select Copy or Download .txt to take the result elsewhere.
Unicode Braille or ASCII Braille (NABCC)
Unicode Braille writes each six-dot cell as one character in the Braille Patterns block. ASCII Braille (NABCC) uses this converter's fixed table of 64 dot patterns. Select the format that matches the notation in Text or Braille input before decoding.
Input: A12
Output: ⠠⠁⠼⠁⠃Text → Braille adds a capitalization sign before an uppercase letter and a number sign before a run of digits. An all-uppercase word gets the capitalization sign twice before its letters.
What the Braille to Text converter does with input
Auto-detect removes whitespace before it checks the input. When more than 40 percent of the remaining characters are Unicode Braille cells, it selects Braille → Text. Otherwise it selects Text → Braille. It does not detect ASCII Braille, so choose the direction yourself for NABCC input.
Spaces and line breaks stay in the result. A tab becomes a space when text is encoded. Unsupported characters are skipped and listed under Unsupported characters skipped:. Parentheses, quotation marks, and curly apostrophes can share ambiguous cells; the chosen reverse reading appears under Ambiguous mappings used:.
Grade 1 has no word or letter contractions. Upload accepts text files with .txt or text/plain, so it does not read an image of embossed Braille.
Input cases to check
- Enter
A12with Text → Braille to see a capitalization sign followed by a number sign. - Paste text with a line break to check that the line break remains in the result.
- Enter an unsupported character and read the warning under Unsupported characters skipped:.
When another text converter fits better
Text Conversion Tools includes this Braille Converter with other text converters. Use Base32 Encoder / Decoder for RFC 4648 Base32 or Base64 Encoder / Decoder for Base64 text. Choose Unicode Converter for \uXXXX escapes instead of Braille cells.
Does the Braille converter send text to a server?
Conversion runs in browser JavaScript. The local converter script makes no request that uploads entered text or a selected file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Braille to text?
Select Braille → Text, choose Unicode Braille (⠃⠗⠇) or ASCII Braille (NABCC), and enter matching notation in Text or Braille input.
What is the difference between Unicode Braille and ASCII Braille?
Unicode Braille uses characters from the Braille Patterns block. ASCII Braille (NABCC) uses this converter's fixed table of 64 dot-pattern characters.
Does the Braille converter support Grade 2 contractions?
The converter uses Grade 1, uncontracted rules. It does not apply Grade 2 word or letter contractions.
What happens to unsupported characters in Braille conversion?
Unsupported characters are skipped and listed under Unsupported characters skipped:. Ambiguous reverse mappings are listed under Ambiguous mappings used:.
Can I upload an image of Braille to convert it?
No. Upload accepts .txt and text/plain files, so the converter does not read an image or perform OCR.