Grade 3 English Braille (using Grade 2 English Braille signs)

Characters

The lists and tables of braille characters on this page use the traditional order for the 64 braille characters and sometimes group these characters into their traditional groupings. Many different braille codes use this order. The groupings help to show that the order is not entirely arbitrary. We show the usual Grade 2 English Braille sign for many of the characters in this list.

Group 0 character

The only character in group 0 is the space character, which does not use any dots.

• space (no dots)

Group 1 characters

The ten characters in group 1 use either dot 1 or dot 4 or both and can also use dot 2 and dot 5. These characters do not use dot 3 or dot 6.

• a (dot 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)

Group 2 characters

The ten characters in group 2 repeat the pattern of the ten characters in group 1 with the addition of dot 3. These characters do not use dot 6.

• 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)

Group 3 characters

The ten characters in group 3 repeat the pattern of the ten characters in group 1 with the addition of dot 3 and dot 6.

• u (dots 136)
• v (dots 1236)
• x (dots 1346)
• y (dots 13456)
• z (dots 1356)
• and (dots 12346)
• for (dots 123456)
• of (dots 12356)
• the (dots 2346)
• with (dots 23456)

Group 4 characters

The ten characters in group 4 repeat the pattern of the ten characters in group 1 with the addition of dot 6. These characters do not use dot 3.

• ch (dots 16)
• gh (dots 126)
• sh (dots 146)
• th (dots 1456)
• wh (dots 156)
• ed (dots 1246)
• er (dots 12456)
• ou (dots 1256)
• ow (dots 246)
• w (dots 2456)

Group 5 characters

The 10 characters in group 5 repeat the pattern of the 10 characters in group 1 using the lower four dots instead of the upper four dots, so that a dot 1 in group 1 becomes a dot 2 in group 5, a dot 2 in group 1 becomes a dot 3 in group 5, a dot 4 in group 1 becomes a dot 5 in group 5, and a dot 5 in group 1 becomes a dot 6 in group 5. These characters do not use dot 1 or dot 4.

• lower a (dot 2)
• lower b (dots 23)
• lower c (dots 25)
• lower d (dots 256)
• en (dots 26)
• lower f (dots 235)
• lower g (dots 2356)
• lower h (dots 236)
• in (dots 35)
• lower j (dots 356)

Group 6 characters

The six characters in group 6 all use dot 3 and never use dot 1 or dot 2. These characters can use dot 4 or dot 6 or both. They can only use dot 5 if they also use dot 4.

• st (dots 34)
• ing (dots 346)
• ble (dots 3456)
• ar (dots 345)
• dot 3 (dot 3)
• dots 36 (dots 36)

Group 7 characters

The seven characters in group 7 do not use any dots from the left-hand column and use at least one dot from the right-hand column.

• dot 4 (dot 4)
• dots 45 (dots 45)
• dots 456 (dots 456)
• dot 5 (dot 5)
• dots 46 (dots 46)
• dots 56 (dots 56)
• dot 6 (dot 6)

Terminology

We describe a character that uses dots 1 or 4 (or both) as an upper character. We describe a non-space character that does not use dots 1 or dot 4 (or both) as a lower character.

An upper sign contains an upper character. A lower sign contains only lower characters. We can use any number of lower signs together.

A group sign represents a group of letters in a word. Context-insensitive group signs represent the same letters wherever that group sign appears in a word. Context-sensitive group signs represent different letters, depending on the position of that sign in a word.

Three types of context-sensitive group signs exist:

• We can use an initial group sign at the beginning of a word.
• We can use a medial group sign strictly inside a word.
• We can use a terminal group sign at the end of a word.

We can write a braille character by itself (as a word) to represent a word: We call this a one-cell word sign.

We call the seven characters in group 7 right-hand characters, because they consist only of dots 4, 5, and 6 (the dots in the right-hand column of the cell). These right-hand characters can precede any of the other characters to form two-cell signs.

We use the first four characters in group 7 to form two-cell word signs. Two-cell word signs represent words or groups of letters and we can use them in a larger word.

We use the last three characters in group 7 to form two-cell group signs. Two-cell group signs represent groups of letters and we can use them medially or terminally in a word.

A short form is a combination of braille signs that represents a word in an abbreviated form.

Outlining is the selective omission of the vowels "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u" from between two consonants of a word.

Sequencing is when we write two or more words without an intervening space: this creates a word sequence.

One-cell group signs

A group sign represents a group of letters in a word. Context-insensitive group signs represent the same letters wherever that group sign appears in a word. Context-sensitive group signs represent different letters, depending on the position of that sign in a word.

Context-insensitive group signs

• and (dots 12346)
• for (dots 123456)
• of (dots 12356)
• the (dots 2346)
• with (dots 23456)
• ch (dots 16)
• sh (dots 146)
• th (dots 1456)
• ed (dots 1246)
• er (dots 12456)
• en (dots 26)
• in (dots 35)
• st (dots 34)
• ar (dots 345)

Context-sensitive group signs

Three types of context-sensitive group signs exist:

• We can use an initial group sign at the beginning of a word.
• We can use a medial group sign strictly inside a word.
• We can use a terminal group sign at the end of a word.

We use square brackets ("[" and "]") to indicate other meanings of a character. These signs are not group signs, but they avoid having empty cells in the table.

We use "(syllable)" to indicate that we can only use a group sign when it forms a complete syllable.

We use "(extendable)" to indicate that we can follow a terminal group sign with the two-cell group signs dots 56 s ("ness") and dots 56 t ("ment") or with a one-cell sign necessary to complete the word. Examples:

• forwarded: for w ed
• righteously: dot 5 r e ou dots 45
• righteousness: dot 5 r e ou dots 56 s

We use "(end of syllable)" to indicate that we can only use a medial group sign at the end of a syllable.

We use "(sequenced)" to indicate that an initial sign represents a word sign that usually precedes the following word without a space.

One-cell initial group signs can follow each other. Examples:

• disbelief: lower d lower b l dot 6 f (dots 256 dots 23 dots 123 dot 6 dots 124)
• disrespectful: lower d ow gh c t f l (dots 256 dots 246 dots 126 dots 14 dots 2345 dots 124 dots 123)
• incomparable: in dots 36 p ar ble (dots 35 dots 36 dots 1234 dots 345 dots 3456)
• inconstant: in lower c st n t (dots 35 dots 25 dots 34 dots 1345 dots 2345)
• indefinable: in j f in ble (dots 35 dots 245 dots 124 dots 35 dots 3456)
• outdistance: ou lower d t dots 46 e (dots 1256 dots 256 dots 2345 dots 46 dots 15)
• recommend: ow dots 36 m en d (dots 246 dots 36 dots 134 dots 26 dots 145)
• reconstruct: ow lower c st r u c t (dots 246 dots 25 dots 34 dots 1235 dots 136 dots 14 dots 2345)
• reinspire: ow in gh i (dots 246 dots 35 dots 126 dots 24)
• undismayed: ing lower d m dot 4 ed (dots 346 dots 256 dots 134 dot 4 dots 1246)
• unresponsive: ing ow gh o n s v (dots 346 dots 246 dots 126 dots 135 dots 1345 dots 234 dots 1236)
• unspotted: ing gh o lower j ed (dots 346 dots 126 dots 135 dots 356 dots 1246)

We must not use the terminal group signs lower g (dots 2356) ("ge"), lower j (dots 356) ("te"), or dots 36 (dots 36 ("ce" or "cy") when our reader could mistake them for punctuation.

For words that end with "ies", we tend to use the terminal group sign z (dots 1356) ("es") to give i z rather than using the medial group sign dot 6 (dot 6 ("ie") to give dot 6 s.

Word signs and two-cell group signs

We can write a braille character by itself (as a word) to represent a word: We call this a one-cell word sign.

We call the seven characters in group 7 right-hand characters, because they consist only of dots 4, 5, and 6 (the dots in the right-hand column of the cell). These right-hand characters can precede any of the other characters to form two-cell signs.

We use the first four characters in group 7 to form two-cell word signs. Two-cell word signs represent words or groups of letters and we can use them in a larger word.

We use the last three characters in group 7 to form two-cell group signs. Two-cell group signs represent groups of letters and we can use them medially or terminally in a word.

Group 1 word signs and two-cell group signs

Group 2 word signs and two-cell group signs

We use "(rarely used)" to indicate that we do not usually use the two-cell group sign "ful", because we usually outline "ful" as "fl" and we take dots 56 l in a word to be the medial group sign dots 56 followed by the letter "l", indicating "ual", "uel", "uil", "uol", "uul", or "uyl".

We use "(syllable)" to indicate that we can only use the two-cell word signs "pre" and "pro" when these letters form a complete syllable.

Group 3 word signs and two-cell group signs

Group 4 word signs

Group 5 word signs

We use "(sequenced)" to indicate that when we use the one-cell word signs "to" and "by" (and also in lower f "into"), we must omit the space before the next word.

We must not use the lower one-cell word signs when our reader could reasonably mistake them for punctuation.

Group 6 word signs

We must not use the lower one-cell word signs when our reader could reasonably mistake them for punctuation.

Forming the "ing" form of two-cell word signs that end with the letter "e"

We can form the "ing" form of a two-cell word sign that ends with the letter "e" by adding a letter "g". Examples:

• becoming: dot 5 lower b g
• believing: dots 45 lower b g
• bouncing: b dots 45 ou g
• changing: dot 4 ch g
• charging: dots 456 ch g
• continuing: dots 456 lower c g
• coursing: dot 4 c g
• enclosing: dots 456 en g
• estranging: e dot 4 st g
• housing: dot 5 lower h g
• improving: dots 456 i g
• inclosing: dots 456 en g
• judging: dots 45 j g
• leaving: dots 45 v g
• living: dot 4 v g
• loving: dot 5 v g
• pleasing: dots 45 p g
• siding: dot 4 z g
• timing: dot 5 t g
• whiling: dots 456 ed g

Short forms

A short form is a combination of braille signs that represents a word in an abbreviated form.

Alphabetical list of words with short forms, subdivided by the initial letter of the word

A

• about: a b (dot 1 dots 12)
• above: a b v (dot 1 dots 12 dots 1236)
• according: a c (dot 1 dots 14)
• account: a c c (dot 1 dots 14 dots 14)
• acknowledge: a c k (dot 1 dots 14 dots 13)
• acknowledging: a c k g (dot 1 dots 14 dots 13 dots 1245)
• acknowledgment: a c k dots 56 t (dot 1 dots 14 dots 13 dots 56 dots 2345)
• across: a c r (dot 1 dots 14 dots 1235)
• after: a f (dot 1 dots 124)
• afternoon: a f n (dot 1 dots 124 dots 1345)
• afterward: a f w (dot 1 dots 124 dots 2456)
• afterwards: a f w s (dot 1 dots 124 dots 2456 dots 234)
• again: a g (dot 1 dots 1245)
• against: a g st (dot 1 dots 1245 dots 34)
• agree: a g r (dot 1 dots 1245 dots 1235)
• agreeable: a g r ble (dot 1 dots 1245 dots 1235 dots 3456)
• almost: a l m (dot 1 dots 123 dots 134)
• already: a l r (dot 1 dots 123 dots 1235)
• also: a l (dot 1 dots 123)
• although: a l th (dot 1 dots 123 dots 1456)
• altogether: a l t (dot 1 dots 123 dots 2345)
• always: a l w (dot 1 dots 123 dots 2456)
• answer: a n s (dot 1 dots 1345 dots 234)
• anxious: a n x (dot 1 dots 1345 dots 1346)

B

• because: lower b c (dots 23 dots 14)
• before: lower b f (dots 23 dots 124)
• behind: lower b h (dots 23 dots 125)
• below: lower b l (dots 23 dots 123)
• beneath: lower b n (dots 23 dots 1345)
• beside: lower b s (dots 23 dots 234)
• best: b st (dots 12 dots 34)
• between: lower b t (dots 23 dots 2345)
• beyond: lower b y (dots 23 dots 13456)
• blind: b l (dots 12 dots 123)
• book: b k (dots 12 dots 13)
• both: b th (dots 12 dots 1456)
• braille: b r l (dots 12 dots 1235 dots 123)
• brailling: b r l g (dots 12 dots 1235 dots 123 dots 1245)
• business: b dots 56 s (dots 12 dots 56 dots 234)

C

• children: ch n (dots 16 dots 1345)
• certain: c er (dots 14 dots 12456)
• church: ch ch (dots 16 dots 16)
• conceive: lower c c v (dots 25 dots 14 dots 1236)
• conceiving: lower c c v g (dots 25 dots 14 dots 1236 dots 1245)
• could: c d (dots 14 dots 145)

D

• deceive: d c v (dots 145 dots 14 dots 1236)
• deceiving: d c v g (dots 145 dots 14 dots 1236 dots 1245)
• declare: d c l (dots 145 dots 14 dots 123)
• declaring: d c l g (dots 145 dots 14 dots 123 dots 1245)
• difficult: d lower f c (dots 145 dots 235 dots 14)

E

• either: e i (dots 15 dots 24)
• especial: e gh (dots 15 dots 126)
• everybody: e b d y (dots 15 dots 12 dots 145 dots 13456)
• everyone: e dot 5 o (dots 15 dot 5 dots 135)
• everything: e th ing (dots 15 dots 1456 dots 346)
• everywhere: e dot 5 wh (dots 15 dot 5 dots 156)
• exceeding: x d ing (dots 1346 dots 145 dots 346)

F

• faith: f th (dots 124 dots 1456)
• few: f w (dots 124 dots 2456)
• fifty: f f dots 56 (dots 124 dots 124 dots 56)
• first: f st (dots 124 dots 34) (We do not use this Grade 2 short form in Grade 3, because we have a two-cell word sign for this word and not using this short form enables us to outline the word "fast".)
• frequent: f r q (dots 124 dots 1235 dots 12345)
• friend: f r (dots 124 dots 1235)

G

• general: g en (dots 1245 dots 26)
• get: g t (dots 1245 dots 2345)
• getting: g lower j ing (dots 1245 dots 356 dots 346)
• glory: g l (dots 1245 dots 123)
• good: g d (dots 1245 dots 145)
• govern: g o v (dots 1245 dots 135 dots 1236)
• grace: g r (dots 1245 dots 1235)
• gracing: g r g (dots 1245 dots 1235 dots 1245)
• great: g r t (dots 1245 dots 1235 dots 2345) (We do not use this Grade 2 short form in Grade 3, because we have a shorter two-cell word sign for this word. This enables us to outline words such as "grated", "grater", and "grating".)

H

• help: h l p (dots 125 dots 123 dots 1234)
• herself: h er f (dots 125 dots 12456 dots 124)
• him: h m (dots 125 dots 134)
• himself: h m f (dots 125 dots 134 dots 124)
• holy: h l (dots 125 dots 123)
• home: h m e (dots 125 dots 134 dots 15)
• homed: h m d (dots 125 dots 134 dots 145)
• homing: h m g (dots 125 dots 134 dots 1245)
• hope: h p e (dots 125 dots 1234 dots 15)
• hoped: h p d (dots 125 dots 1234 dots 145)
• hoping: h p g (dots 125 dots 1234 dots 1245)

I

• immediate: i m m (dots 24 dots 134 dots 134)
• indeed: in d (dots 35 dots 145)
• its: x s (dots 1346 dots 234)
• itself: x f (dots 1346 dots 124)

J

• justice: j dots 36 (dots 245 dots 36)
• justly: j dots 45 (dots 245 dots 45)

L

• let: l t (dots 123 dots 2345)
• letter: l r (dots 123 dots 1235)
• letting: l lower j ing (dots 123 dots 356 dots 346)
• likely: l dots 45 (dots 123 dots 45)
• likewise: l w wh (dots 123 dots 2456 dots 156)
• little: l l (dots 123 dots 123)
• look: l k (dots 123 dots 13)

M

• member: m m (dots 134 dots 134)
• moreover: m o (dots 134 dots 135)
• much: m ch (dots 134 dots 16)
• must: m st (dots 134 dots 34)
• myself: m y f (dots 134 dots 13456 dots 124)

N

• necessarily: n e c dots 45 (dots 1345 dots 15 dots 14 dots 45)
• necessary: n e c (dots 1345 dots 15 dots 14)
• neither: n e i (dots 1345 dots 15 dots 24)
• nevertheless: dots 456 n dots 46 (dots 456 dots 1345 dots 46)
• new: n w (dots 1345 dots 2456)
• nor: n r (dots 1345 dots 1235)
• north: n r th (dots 1345 dots 1235 dots 1456)
• note: n lower j (dots 1345 dots 356)
• notes: n t z (dots 1345 dots 2345 dots 1356)
• notwithstanding: n ing (dots 1345 dots 346)

O

• o'clock: o dot 3 c (dots 135 dot 3 dots 14)
• once: o dots 36 (dots 135 dots 36)
• oneself: dot 5 o f (dot 5 dots 135 dots 124)
• only: o dots 45 (dots 135 dots 45)
• ourselves: ou r v s (dots 1256 dots 1235 dots 1236 dots 234)

P

• paid: p d (dots 1234 dots 145)
• particular: dot 5 p r (dot 5 dots 1234 dots 1235)
• perceive: p er c v (dots 1234 dots 12456 dots 14 dots 1236)
• perceiving: p er c v g (dots 1234 dots 12456 dots 14 dots 1236 dots 1245)
• perhaps: p er h (dots 1234 dots 12456 dots 125)
• possible: p ble (dots 1234 dots 3456)
• possibly: p dots 46 y (dots 1234 dots 46 dots 13456)
• present: dot 4 p s (dot 4 dots 1234 dots 234)
• prevent: dot 4 p v (dot 4 dots 1234 dots 1236)
• probable: dots 456 p ble (dots 456 dots 1234 dots 3456)
• probably: dots 456 p dots 46 y (dots 456 dots 1234 dots 46 dots 13456)
• put: p t (dots 1234 dots 2345)
• putting: p lower j ing (dots 1234 dots 356 dots 346)

Q

• quick: q k (dots 12345 dots 13) (We rarely use this Grade 2 short form in Grade 3, because we have a two-cell word sign for this word, which we can sequence.)

R

• receive: r c v (dots 1235 dots 14 dots 1236)
• receiving: r c v g (dots 1235 dots 14 dots 1236 dots 1245)
• rejoice: r j c (dots 1235 dots 245 dots 14)
• rejoicing: r j c g (dots 1235 dots 245 dots 14 dots 1245)
• rule: r q (dots 1235 dots 12345)
• rules: r l z (dots 1235 dots 123 dots 1356)

S

• said: s d (dots 234 dots 145)
• seventy: s v en dots 56 (dots 234 dots 1236 dots 26 dots 56)
• should: sh d (dots 146 dots 145)
• sign: s g n (dots 234 dots 1245 dots 1345)
• six: s x (dots 234 dots 1346)
• sixty: s x dots 56 (dots 234 dots 1346 dots 56)
• somebody: s b d y (dots 234 dots 12 dots 145 dots 13456)
• somehow: s h ow (dots 234 dots 125 dots 246)
• someone: s dot 5 o (dots 234 dot 5 dots 135)
• something: s th ing (dots 234 dots 1456 dots 346)
• sometimes: s t s (dots 234 dots 2345 dots 234)
• somewhat: s ed (dots 234 dots 1246)
• somewhere: s dot 5 wh (dots 234 dot 5 dots 156)
• son: s n (dots 234 dots 1345)
• subject: s b j c t (dots 234 dots 12 dots 245 dots 14 dots 2345)
• such: s ch (dots 234 dots 16)
• suggest: s lower g st (dots 234 dots 2356 dots 34)
• sure: s u (dots 234 dots 136)
• surely: s u dots 45 (dots 234 dots 136 dots 45)

T

• themselves: the m v s (dots 2346 dots 134 dots 1236 dots 234) (We do not use this Grade 2 short form in Grade 3, because we have a shorter short form for this word.)
• themselves: gh v s (dots 126 dots 1236 dots 234)
• therefore: the f (dots 2346 dots 124)
• think: th k (dots 1456 dots 13)
• thirty: th r dots 56 (dots 1456 dots 1235 dots 56)
• three: th r (dots 1456 dots 1235)
• thus: th s (dots 1456 dots 234)
• thyself: th y f (dots 1456 dots 13456 dots 124)
• today: t d (dots 2345 dots 145)
• together: t g r (dots 2345 dots 1245 dots 1235) (We do not use this Grade 2 short form in Grade 3, because we have a shorter two-cell word sign for this word.)
• tomorrow: t m (dots 2345 dots 134)
• tonight: t n (dots 2345 dots 1345)
• took: t k (dots 2345 dots 13)
• trust: t r st (dots 2345 dots 1235 dots 34)
• truth: t r th (dots 2345 dots 1235 dots 1456)
• turn: t r n (dots 2345 dots 1235 dots 1345)

U

• undo: ing d (dots 346 dots 145)
• unjust: ing j (dots 346 dots 245)
• unless: ing dots 46 (dots 346 dots 46)
• unlike: ing l (dots 346 dots 123)
• until: ing t (dots 346 dots 2345)

V

• valuable: v l ble (dots 1236 dots 123 dots 3456)
• value: v l (dots 1236 dots 123)
• valuing: v l g (dots 1236 dots 123 dots 1245)
• various: v ar (dots 1236 dots 345)

W

• west: w st (dots 2456 dots 34)
• whatever: ed dot 5 e (dots 1246 dot 5 dots 15)
• whatsoever: ed s o dot 5 e (dots 1246 dots 234 dots 135 dot 5 dots 15)
• wherefore: wh f (dots 156 dots 124)
• wherever: wh r (dots 156 dots 1235)
• whichever: wh dot 5 e (dots 156 dot 5 dots 15)
• whom: wh m (dots 156 dots 134)
• woman: w m n (dots 2456 dots 134 dots 1345)
• women: w m en (dots 2456 dots 134 dots 26)
• would: w d (dots 2456 dots 145)

Y

• yesterday: y d (dots 13456 dots 145)
• your: y r (dots 13456 dots 1235)
• yourself: y r f (dots 13456 dots 1235 dots 124)
• yourselves: y r v s (dots 13456 dots 1235 dots 1236 dots 234)

Inflecting short form words that end with the letter "e"

We can form the "ed" form of a short form word whose short form ends with the letter "e" by replacing that letter "e" with the letter "d". Examples:

• homed: h m d
• hoped: h p d

We can form the "es" form of a short form word whose short form ends with the letter "e" by replacing that letter "e" with the letter "z". Examples:

• homes: h m z
• hopes: h p z

We can form the "ing" form of a short form word whose short form ends with the letter "e" by replacing that letter "e" with the letter "g". Examples:

• homing: h m g
• hoping: h p g

When we have a short form for a word that ends with the letter "e" and we form the "ing" form of that word by replacing that letter "e" with the letters "ing", we can form the short form of the "ing" form of the word by adding the letter "g" to the end of the short form of the word that ends with the letter "e". Examples:

• acknowledging: a c k g
• belittling: lower b l l g
• brailling: b r l g
• gracing: g r g
• valuing: v l g

Outlining

Outlining is the selective omission of the vowels "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u" from between two consonants of a word.

We can omit the vowel "a" from the first or only syllable of a word. We can omit the vowel "i" from the first or only syllable of a word when the vowel precedes the group sign "gh".

We can omit any of the vowels "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u" from second and subsequent syllables of a word of more than one syllable.

We cannot omit a vowel when:

• Two or more vowels occur together (when determining the number of vowels that occur together, we treat the group sign "qu" as a consonant rather than a consonant followed by a vowel).
• The vowel precedes the letter "y".
• Omitting the vowel would bring together two consonants that occur together frequently in English.
• The vowel is a syllable by itself (sometimes the vowel "a" is an exception to this).
• The vowel bears the principle stress.
• Omitting the vowel would result in an ambiguity (in the word "sad" we cannot omit the vowel "a" when it would create an ambiguity with the short form of the word "said").

Sequencing

Sequencing is when we write two or more words without an intervening space: this creates a word sequence.

1. We can omit the space after the word signs "and", "for", "of", "with", "it", and "as" when:
   • The next word is not either of the word signs "to" or "by".
   • The next word does not begin with any of the lower initial group signs "be", "con", or "dis".
2. We can omit the space after the word sign "the" when the next word is not either of the word signs "to" or "by".
3. We can omit the space before the word signs "and", "for", "of", "the", and "with" when the preceding word is a word sign.
4. We usually write the lower linking word signs ("am", "be", "is", "are", "been", "were", "his", and "was") without spaces before or after them. They should not begin or end a word sequence, unless the sequence begins "am I" or "is" or "are" precede a word sign.
5. We can omit the space after the word signs "an" and "at".
6. The word signs "come", "enough", and "in" can precede any word sign without a space.
7. The word signs "a" and "have" can follow any word without a space.
8. Most of the time, we can omit the space after a two-cell word sign. We use a space when:
   • The next word is either of the word signs "to" or "by".
   • The next word begins with any of the lower initial group signs "be", "con", or "dis".
9. We never sequence the word "o".
10. We must not omit spaces when doing so would create ambiguity in that situation.

Examples:

• The child was not able to do the work that she had been given to do by her teacher: the ch lower j n space a ble space lower f d the dot 5 w t space dot 4 sh dots 456 h lower f dots 456 lower g space lower f d space lower j dots 456 lower h t lower a ch er
• The other children have not been trying very hard: the dots 45 o ch n h space n lower f t r y ing space v space h ar d
• Here and there they found the treasure: dot 5 h and dot 5 the dot 4 gh f dots 46 d space the t r lower a s u
• They were to come into his house out of the rain at last: dot 4 gh lower g lower f dots 36 in lower f lower h dot 5 lower h ou of the r a in space dot 3 l st
• It was by accident that they were to come in the evening: x lower j lower j a lower c i d en t space t dot 4 gh lower g lower f dots 36 in the dots 456 e ing

Other rules

Numbers

We can use the 64 braille characters after the numeral sign (ble) to represent the numbers 0 to 63. We can use these characters to represent these numbers or we can use them to represent digits in larger numbers.

Numbers represented by braille characters subdivided by group

Group 0 number 0

0. space (no dots)

Group 1 numbers 1 to 10

1. a (dot 1)
2. b (dots 12)
3. c (dots 14)
4. d (dots 145)
5. e (dots 15)
6. f (dots 124)
7. g (dots 1245)
8. h (dots 125)
9. i (dots 24)
10. j (dots 245)

We can also use ble j to mean 0 as in Grade 2, but this creates an ambiguity that might cause confusion. I have proposed some extensions to represent 0 in a less ambiguous way.

Group 2 numbers 11 to 20

11. k (dots 13)
12. l (dots 123)
13. m (dots 134)
14. n (dots 1345)
15. o (dots 135)
16. p (dots 1234)
17. q (dots 12345)
18. r (dots 1235)
19. s (dots 234)
20. t (dots 2345)

Group 3 numbers 21 to 30

21. u (dots 136)
22. v (dots 1236)
23. x (dots 1346)
24. y (dots 13456)
25. z (dots 1356)
26. and (dots 12346)
27. for (dots 123456)
28. of (dots 12356)
29. the (dots 2346)
30. with (dots 23456)

Group 4 numbers 31 to 40

31. ch (dots 16)
32. gh (dots 126)
33. sh (dots 146)
34. th (dots 1456)
35. wh (dots 156)
36. ed (dots 1246)
37. er (dots 12456)
38. ou (dots 1256)
39. ow (dots 246)
40. w (dots 2456)

Group 5 numbers 41 to 50

41. lower a (dot 2)
42. lower b (dots 23)
43. lower c (dots 25)
44. lower d (dots 256)
45. en (dots 26)
46. lower f (dots 235)
47. lower g (dots 2356)
48. lower h (dots 236)
49. in (dots 35)
50. lower j (dots 356)

Group 6 numbers 51 to 56

51. st (dots 34)
52. ing (dots 346)
53. ble (dots 3456)
54. ar (dots 345)
55. dot 3 (dot 3
56. dots 36 (dots 36

Group 7 numbers 57 to 63

57. dot 4 (dot 4
58. dots 45 (dots 45
59. dots 456 (dots 456
60. dot 5 (dot 5
61. dots 46 (dots 46
62. dots 56 (dots 56
63. dot 6 (dot 6

Using numbers to represent dates and times

We can use the braille characters to represent dates numerically, without any characters to separate the numbers that represent the year, month, and day.

We can use the braille characters to represent times numerically, without any characters to separate the numbers that represent the hour, minute, and second.

Proposed extensions

I propose some small extensions to Grade 3 in this section. These extensions have no official standing, but you can use them if you like them. Please tell me about your own suggestions for extending Grade 3.