I don’t use all the standard interpretations of english’s braille. I present to you the ones I do use and theirs rules of usage. I put an * when I simplify the use.

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The general rules

The use of contractions must not create ambiguity of meaning, otherwise all letters must be transcribed.
I don’t use any contraction when the word is written on 2 lines*.
No contraction of the last word of the line if it breaks the dynamic of the sentence.
No contraction when we explain an acronym, an abbreviation.
Contractions may be sequenced to one another.

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Terminology

Groupsign: contraction which represents a group of letters.
Wordsign: contraction which represents a complete word.
Composite: consisting of more than 1 character.
Sequence: 2 or more words written without an intervening space.
Initial: at the beginning of a word.
Medial: neither at the beginning nor at the end of a word.
Terminal: at the end of a word.

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Capitals (dot 6)

1 sign (6)	One letter in capital	Love
2 signs (6, 6)	One word in capital	LONDON
3 signs (6, 6, 6)	All the passage in capital until the sign end of capital	BEETHOVEN’S SYMPONY N°6
capital terminal (6, 3)	End of capital letters	WONDERful

Ellipsis (3*dot 3)

… ellipsis (3, 3, 3)

Life’s … sign	Between 2 words, we put a space on each side
« … is life’s sign. »	After a punctuation sign, unspaced after punctuation
« Life is only … »	Before a punctuation sign, unspaced before punctuation
Life is a symph…	To complete a word, unspaced after the word

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Simple upper groupsigns

Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the appropriate endings to the cardinal numbers.
st and th are 2 simple upper groups that can also be used in words with specific rules, but I only use them in ordinal numbers*.

Examples:	1st (3-4-5-6, 1, 3-4)	We use the specific character st (3-4)
	2nd (3-4-5-6, 1-2, 1-3-4-5, 1-4-5):	There is no specific character for nd, we use the characters n and d
	3rd (3-4-5-6, 1-4, 1-2-3-5, 1-4-5)	There is no specific character for rd, we use the characters r and d
	57th (3-4-5-6, 1-5, 1-2-4-5, 1-4-5-6)	We use the specific character th (1-4-5-6) from the 4th decade

These simple upper groupsigns may be used also as wordsigns.

and

for

the

with

Should generally be used wherever the letters they represent occur, in initial, medial or terminal position. Instead of for The, the composite wordsigns these, there, mother, father, are priority. See Booklet « Braille: wordsigns ».

These simple upper groupsigns may not be used at the beginning of a word.

ing

ble

They may be used in the middle or at the end of a word but I use them only at the terminal position*.

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Lower contractions

Like wordsign

They must not be used as parts of words.

into

Not be used before or after the hyphen or apostrophe; before the ellipsis; before other punctuation ; before computer code indicators or electronic addresses.
Specific rules with mathematical and numerical signs, but I don’t use them, in this case I always write letter by letter*.

At initial position

It can be after a hyphen in a hyphenated compound word.

be
example:	beloved

It can be a wordsign.
It must be an unstressed syllable, instead of
- being
- bein’

Sequencing

And, for, of, the, with, to, into, by
should be written unspaced from a word which follows on the same braille line, even when a sense break or natural pause is present. Instead of

Initial-Medial-Terminal groupsings

In also used as wordsign, but not en.

not iness, ing

not ence, ment, enough*, silencer

They are used wherever the letters they represent occur. Instead of for en not be used when the letters form a word or an element of a hyphenated compound word. See Booklet « Braille: end of letters ».

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Composite wordsigns

These wordsigns may be used as parts of words, subject to the rules which apply to them. There’s a lot of rules, and a lot of composite wordsigns.
I chosen only these based on the sense or pronunciation.

When they retain their meanings as whole words

upon	not coupon
those	not thoseby
these	not hypotheses
whose	example whosesoever

When the a is short

had	not haddock

When the stress is on the first e and the letter group not preceded by an e or i

ever	not severe

When the letters it represents are pronounced as one syllabe

here	not heresy
name	not enamel
one	money except ending « oney »

When the letters it represents are pronounced as the word

some	time	sometimes
there		not ethereal
where	not wherever	but whereupon

Simple upper wordsigns

Just like a word*.
May be preceded or followed by punctuation signs, and may be preceded by the italic or capital signs and by the contractions to, into and by.
Do not use between 2 quote signs*.
Should generally be used before the apostrophe followed by d, ll, re, s, t, ve.
May be used when joined by the hyphen in compound words.
Should not be used for foreign words, or in other cases such as the musical note do “C” for example.
They represent a letter or a simple upper groupsigns which, on their own, between 2 spaces, constitute the meaning of a word.

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In blue, there’s the contractions I use only as a wordsign

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Books with a contracted transcription

Quentin Blake’s ABC

Quentin Blake © Quentin Blake 1989, one-to-one and contracted transcription in braille by Obel’Isa in 2025.

Article of the theme: Braille touch.

Quentin Blake’s ABC

Developing your senses

Pas de version française

Here is the original book.

Quentin Blake

You can visit the Quentin Blake’s Website for more information about the author:
–https://quentinblake.com/books.
For the transcription, I bought the Red Fox edition published in 2002 by Random House Children’s Books. You can visit their Website:
– https://www.penguin.co.uk/children.

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Click on the first image to enlarge it and scroll through the pages like in the book.

One-to-one transcription

Contracted transcription

Article of the theme: Braille touch.

In shape

Developing your senses

Version française

This is the original book where children can learn to trace shapes with their fingers.

Ingrid Chabbert
Marjorie Béal

Let’s visit their Website for more information (in french):
–https://www.lisez.com/langue-au-chat/10.

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Click on the first image to enlarge it and scroll through the pages like in the book.

Article of the theme: Braille touch.

Wordsigns in braille

Developing your senses

Version française

From the 3rd decade, we find the last letters of the alphabet and then the specific characters of the language.

I made the last 2 booklets by taking the characters from series 4 to 8 according to their grammatical fonction.

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In this booklet you will find the wordsigns, upper groupsigns and 2 lower contractions sequenced, the numbers (in the 1st decade) as well as the main characters for laying out short stories, writing numbers and some particularities such as dates, time, some abbreviations, etc. This is not exhaustive of everything that can be done in Braille (tables, mathematical operations, etc.).

Wordsigns are groups of letters that can be use as a word or as part of words, at the beginning, middle or end. There are many types of contractions and different rules, priority between them, that’s why I will only use the wordsigns presented in this booklet. All other contractions will be translated letter by letter.

The 5 upper groupsigns are in the 3rd decade.

To and by are in the 5th decade. This braille code is also used for punctuation. If ambiguity may arise, it will be necessary to translate letter by letter. We found also the contraction en and in, see in the previous booklet (soon), and some stylistis effect characters present in this booklet.

And, for, of, the with, to, by, in, into contractions should be written unspaced from a word which follows, even when a sense break or natural pause is present. That’s why I underline the word in turquoise with or without the space depending on the dynamics of the sentence.

In the other decade, there are the retained stylistic effect characters.

Isabelle Bourgait

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Click on the first image to enlarge it and scroll through the pages like in the book.

Article of the theme: Braille touch.

End of letters and puntuation in braille

Developing your senses

Version française

From the 3rd decade, we find the last letters of the alphabet and then the specific characters of the language.

I made the last 2 booklets by taking the characters from series 4 to 8 according to their grammatical fonction.

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In this booklet you will find the last letters of the alphabet, 2 groupsigns as well as the punctuation. I have removed the stylistic effects.

The last letters of the alphabet are divided into 2 decades because at the time of Louis Braille, the letter w being little used, which is why he put it in the 4th series, while the letters from u to z are in the 3rd decade.