Grade 1 braille (uncontracted braille) maps each print letter to one braille cell, one for one. Grade 2 braille (contracted braille) adds a system of contractions — single cells or short sequences that stand for common words, letter groups, or whole words — to reduce the physical length of text and increase reading speed. Virtually all published braille books, textbooks, and official documents use Grade 2.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Grade 1 (Uncontracted) | Grade 2 (Contracted) |
|---|---|---|
| Letter encoding | One cell per letter | One cell per letter |
| Word contractions | None | Whole-word contractions (e.g., ⠮ = the) |
| Part-word contractions | None | 180+ groupings (e.g., ⠑⠙ = ed) |
| Space used | More | ~20–25% less than Grade 1 |
| Who uses it | Beginners, labels, signage | Books, newspapers, all major publishing |
| UEB status | Part of UEB | Part of UEB |
Grade 1 Example: “the”
In Grade 1, the word “the” takes three cells: ⠞ (t) + ⠓ (h) + ⠑ (e). Three separate cells, each a distinct pattern.
Grade 2 Example: “the”
In Grade 2, the word “the” is a single cell: ⠮ (dots 2,3,4,6). Reading speed increases because the finger moves past one cell instead of three.
Other common whole-word contractions in UEB:
| Contraction cell | Stands for |
|---|---|
| ⠁ | a |
| ⠃ | but |
| ⠉ | can |
| ⠙ | do |
| ⠑ | every |
| ⠋ | from |
| ⠛ | go |
| ⠓ | have |
| ⠚ | just |
| ⠅ | knowledge |
| ⠇ | like |
| ⠍ | more |
| ⠝ | not |
| ⠏ | people |
| ⠟ | quite |
| ⠗ | rather |
| ⠎ | so |
| ⠞ | that |
| ⠥ | us |
| ⠧ | very |
| ⠺ | will |
| ⠭ | it |
| ⠽ | you |
| ⠵ | as |
Note that many of these same cells serve double duty: ⠁ alone means the word “a,” but in the middle of a word it simply represents the letter a. Context and position determine meaning — this is why Grade 2 takes practice.
Part-Word Contractions
Grade 2 also contracts common letter combinations. A few examples from UEB:
| Braille | Represents |
|---|---|
| ⠫ | ed |
| ⠻ | er |
| ⠡ | ch |
| ⠩ | sh |
| ⠹ | th |
| ⠱ | wh |
Unified English Braille and Contractions
When the Braille Authority of North America implemented UEB in the US on January 4, 2016, it updated and standardized the contraction set used across English-speaking countries. Some contractions from the old English Braille American Edition were dropped; others were added or modified. The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) produced transition guides for educators teaching UEB contractions.
Who Uses Which Grade
- Grade 1: used on product labels, elevator buttons, medicine packaging, and short signs where speed is less important and space is extremely limited.
- Grade 2: used in books, textbooks, personal correspondence, and any extended reading material.
The braille translator on this site outputs Grade 1 cells. To learn Grade 2 contractions, the APH and Perkins School for the Blind offer free online courses. See How Braille Works for the cell basics, or History of Braille for how the system evolved.