Common Braille Words
The Dolch sight words in Grade 2 braille, with the contractions in each one named.
Last updated
Every word in Grade 2
Shaded cells are contractions. Each one is named under its word, so the shading is never the only sign.
315 words shown.
No word in this list matches. Type any word into the braille translator to see it in Grade 2.
Pre-primer (40 words, 19 contracted)
- adots 1no contractions
- anddots 1-2-3-4-6whole word: strong contraction
- awaydots 1 2-4-5-6 1 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- bigdots 1-2 2-4 1-2-4-5no contractions
- bluedots 1-2 1-2-3 1-3-6 1-5no contractions
- candots 1-4whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- comedots 1-4 1-3-5 1-3-4 1-5no contractions
- downdots 1-4-5 2-4-6 1-3-4-5ow: strong groupsign
- finddots 1-2-4 3-5 1-4-5in: lower groupsign
- fordots 1-2-3-4-5-6whole word: strong contraction
- funnydots 1-2-4 1-3-6 1-3-4-5 1-3-4-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- godots 1-2-4-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- helpdots 1-2-5 1-5 1-2-3 1-2-3-4no contractions
- heredots 5 1-2-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- Idots 6 2-4no contractions
- indots 3-5whole word: lower wordsign
- isdots 2-4 2-3-4no contractions
- itdots 1-3-4-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- jumpdots 2-4-5 1-3-6 1-3-4 1-2-3-4no contractions
- littledots 1-2-3 1-2-3whole word: shortform
- lookdots 1-2-3 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-3no contractions
- makedots 1-3-4 1 1-3 1-5no contractions
- medots 1-3-4 1-5no contractions
- mydots 1-3-4 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- notdots 1-3-4-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- onedots 5 1-3-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- playdots 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 1 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- reddots 1-2-3-5 1-2-4-6ed: strong groupsign
- rundots 1-2-3-5 1-3-6 1-3-4-5no contractions
- saiddots 2-3-4 1-4-5whole word: shortform
- seedots 2-3-4 1-5 1-5no contractions
- thedots 2-3-4-6whole word: strong contraction
- threedots 1-4-5-6 1-2-3-5 1-5 1-5th: strong groupsign
- todots 2-3-4-5 1-3-5no contractions
- twodots 2-3-4-5 2-4-5-6 1-3-5no contractions
- updots 1-3-6 1-2-3-4no contractions
- wedots 2-4-5-6 1-5no contractions
- wheredots 5 1-5-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- yellowdots 1-3-4-5-6 1-5 1-2-3 1-2-3 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- youdots 1-3-4-5-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
Primer (52 words, 29 contracted)
- alldots 1 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- amdots 1 1-3-4no contractions
- aredots 3-4-5 1-5ar: strong groupsign
- atdots 1 2-3-4-5no contractions
- atedots 1 2-3-4-5 1-5no contractions
- bedots 2-3whole word: lower wordsign
- blackdots 1-2 1-2-3 1 1-4 1-3no contractions
- browndots 1-2 1-2-3-5 2-4-6 1-3-4-5ow: strong groupsign
- butdots 1-2whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- camedots 1-4 1 1-3-4 1-5no contractions
- diddots 1-4-5 2-4 1-4-5no contractions
- dodots 1-4-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- eatdots 1-5 1 2-3-4-5no contractions
- fourdots 1-2-4 1-2-5-6 1-2-3-5ou: strong groupsign
- getdots 1-2-4-5 1-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- gooddots 1-2-4-5 1-4-5whole word: shortform
- havedots 1-2-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- hedots 1-2-5 1-5no contractions
- intodots 3-5 2-3-4-5 1-3-5in: lower groupsign
- likedots 1-2-3whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- mustdots 1-3-4 3-4whole word: shortform
- newdots 1-3-4-5 1-5 2-4-5-6no contractions
- nodots 1-3-4-5 1-3-5no contractions
- nowdots 1-3-4-5 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- ondots 1-3-5 1-3-4-5no contractions
- ourdots 1-2-5-6 1-2-3-5ou: strong groupsign
- outdots 1-2-5-6whole word: strong wordsign
- pleasedots 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 2 2-3-4 1-5ea: lower groupsign
- prettydots 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-5 1-5 2-3-4-5 2-3-4-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- randots 1-2-3-5 1 1-3-4-5no contractions
- ridedots 1-2-3-5 2-4 1-4-5 1-5no contractions
- sawdots 2-3-4 1 2-4-5-6no contractions
- saydots 2-3-4 1 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- shedots 1-4-6 1-5sh: strong groupsign
- sodots 2-3-4whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- soondots 2-3-4 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-3-4-5no contractions
- thatdots 2-3-4-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- theredots 5 2-3-4-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- theydots 2-3-4-6 1-3-4-5-6the: strong contraction
- thisdots 1-4-5-6whole word: strong wordsign
- toodots 2-3-4-5 1-3-5 1-3-5no contractions
- underdots 5 1-3-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- wantdots 2-4-5-6 1 1-3-4-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- wasdots 3-5-6whole word: lower wordsign
- welldots 2-4-5-6 1-5 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- wentdots 2-4-5-6 2-6 2-3-4-5en: lower groupsign
- whatdots 1-5-6 1 2-3-4-5wh: strong groupsign
- whitedots 1-5-6 2-4 2-3-4-5 1-5wh: strong groupsign
- whodots 1-5-6 1-3-5wh: strong groupsign
- willdots 2-4-5-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- withdots 2-3-4-5-6whole word: strong contraction
- yesdots 1-3-4-5-6 1-5 2-3-4no contractions
First grade (41 words, 26 contracted)
- afterdots 1 1-2-4whole word: shortform
- againdots 1 1-2-4-5whole word: shortform
- andots 1 1-3-4-5no contractions
- anydots 1 1-3-4-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- asdots 1-3-5-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- askdots 1 2-3-4 1-3no contractions
- bydots 1-2 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- coulddots 1-4 1-4-5whole word: shortform
- everydots 1-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- flydots 1-2-4 1-2-3 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- fromdots 1-2-4whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- givedots 1-2-4-5 2-4 1-2-3-6 1-5no contractions
- goingdots 1-2-4-5 1-3-5 3-4-6ing: strong groupsign
- haddots 4-5-6 1-2-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- hasdots 1-2-5 1 2-3-4no contractions
- herdots 1-2-5 1-2-4-5-6er: strong groupsign
- himdots 1-2-5 1-3-4whole word: shortform
- hisdots 2-3-6whole word: lower wordsign
- howdots 1-2-5 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- justdots 2-4-5whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- knowdots 5 1-3whole word: initial-letter contraction
- letdots 1-2-3 1-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- livedots 1-2-3 2-4 1-2-3-6 1-5no contractions
- maydots 1-3-4 1 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- ofdots 1-2-3-5-6whole word: strong contraction
- olddots 1-3-5 1-2-3 1-4-5no contractions
- oncedots 1-3-5 1-3-4-5 1-4 1-5no contractions
- opendots 1-3-5 1-2-3-4 2-6en: lower groupsign
- overdots 1-3-5 1-2-3-6 1-2-4-5-6er: strong groupsign
- putdots 1-2-3-4 1-3-6 2-3-4-5no contractions
- rounddots 1-2-3-5 4-6 1-4-5ound: final-letter groupsign
- somedots 5 2-3-4whole word: initial-letter contraction
- stopdots 3-4 1-3-5 1-2-3-4st: strong groupsign
- takedots 2-3-4-5 1 1-3 1-5no contractions
- thankdots 1-4-5-6 1 1-3-4-5 1-3th: strong groupsign
- themdots 2-3-4-6 1-3-4the: strong contraction
- thendots 2-3-4-6 1-3-4-5the: strong contraction
- thinkdots 1-4-5-6 3-5 1-3th: strong groupsign; in: lower groupsign
- walkdots 2-4-5-6 1 1-2-3 1-3no contractions
- weredots 2-3-5-6whole word: lower wordsign
- whendots 1-5-6 2-6wh: strong groupsign; en: lower groupsign
Second grade (46 words, 30 contracted)
- alwaysdots 1 1-2-3 2-4-5-6whole word: shortform
- arounddots 3-4-5 4-6 1-4-5ar: strong groupsign; ound: final-letter groupsign
- becausedots 2-3 1-4whole word: shortform
- beendots 1-2 1-5 2-6en: lower groupsign
- beforedots 2-3 1-2-4whole word: shortform
- bestdots 1-2 1-5 3-4st: strong groupsign
- bothdots 1-2 1-3-5 1-4-5-6th: strong groupsign
- buydots 1-2 1-3-6 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- calldots 1-4 1 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- colddots 1-4 1-3-5 1-2-3 1-4-5no contractions
- doesdots 1-4-5 1-3-5 1-5 2-3-4no contractions
- don'tdots 1-4-5 1-3-5 1-3-4-5 3 2-3-4-5no contractions
- fastdots 1-2-4 1 3-4st: strong groupsign
- firstdots 1-2-4 3-4whole word: shortform
- fivedots 1-2-4 2-4 1-2-3-6 1-5no contractions
- founddots 1-2-4 4-6 1-4-5ound: final-letter groupsign
- gavedots 1-2-4-5 1 1-2-3-6 1-5no contractions
- goesdots 1-2-4-5 1-3-5 1-5 2-3-4no contractions
- greendots 1-2-4-5 1-2-3-5 1-5 2-6en: lower groupsign
- itsdots 1-3-4-6 2-3-4whole word: shortform
- madedots 1-3-4 1 1-4-5 1-5no contractions
- manydots 4-5-6 1-3-4whole word: initial-letter contraction
- offdots 1-2-3-5-6 1-2-4of: strong contraction
- ordots 1-3-5 1-2-3-5no contractions
- pulldots 1-2-3-4 1-3-6 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- readdots 1-2-3-5 2 1-4-5ea: lower groupsign
- rightdots 5 1-2-3-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- singdots 2-3-4 3-4-6ing: strong groupsign
- sitdots 2-3-4 2-4 2-3-4-5no contractions
- sleepdots 2-3-4 1-2-3 1-5 1-5 1-2-3-4no contractions
- telldots 2-3-4-5 1-5 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- theirdots 4-5-6 2-3-4-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- thesedots 4-5 2-3-4-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- thosedots 4-5 1-4-5-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- upondots 4-5 1-3-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- usdots 1-3-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- usedots 1-3-6 2-3-4 1-5no contractions
- verydots 1-2-3-6whole word: alphabetic wordsign
- washdots 2-4-5-6 1 1-4-6sh: strong groupsign
- whichdots 1-5-6whole word: strong wordsign
- whydots 1-5-6 1-3-4-5-6wh: strong groupsign
- wishdots 2-4-5-6 2-4 1-4-6sh: strong groupsign
- workdots 5 2-4-5-6whole word: initial-letter contraction
- woulddots 2-4-5-6 1-4-5whole word: shortform
- writedots 2-4-5-6 1-2-3-5 2-4 2-3-4-5 1-5no contractions
- yourdots 1-3-4-5-6 1-2-3-5whole word: shortform
Third grade (41 words, 26 contracted)
- aboutdots 1 1-2whole word: shortform
- betterdots 1-2 1-5 2-3-4-5 2-3-4-5 1-2-4-5-6er: strong groupsign
- bringdots 1-2 1-2-3-5 3-4-6ing: strong groupsign
- carrydots 1-4 3-4-5 1-2-3-5 1-3-4-5-6ar: strong groupsign
- cleandots 1-4 1-2-3 2 1-3-4-5ea: lower groupsign
- cutdots 1-4 1-3-6 2-3-4-5no contractions
- donedots 1-4-5 5 1-3-5one: initial-letter contraction
- drawdots 1-4-5 1-2-3-5 1 2-4-5-6no contractions
- drinkdots 1-4-5 1-2-3-5 3-5 1-3in: lower groupsign
- eightdots 1-5 2-4 1-2-6 2-3-4-5gh: strong groupsign
- falldots 1-2-4 1 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- fardots 1-2-4 3-4-5ar: strong groupsign
- fulldots 1-2-4 1-3-6 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- gotdots 1-2-4-5 1-3-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- growdots 1-2-4-5 1-2-3-5 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- holddots 1-2-5 1-3-5 1-2-3 1-4-5no contractions
- hotdots 1-2-5 1-3-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- hurtdots 1-2-5 1-3-6 1-2-3-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- ifdots 2-4 1-2-4no contractions
- keepdots 1-3 1-5 1-5 1-2-3-4no contractions
- kinddots 1-3 3-5 1-4-5in: lower groupsign
- laughdots 1-2-3 1 1-3-6 1-2-6gh: strong groupsign
- lightdots 1-2-3 2-4 1-2-6 2-3-4-5gh: strong groupsign
- longdots 1-2-3 5-6 1-2-4-5ong: final-letter groupsign
- muchdots 1-3-4 1-6whole word: shortform
- myselfdots 1-3-4 1-3-4-5-6 1-2-4whole word: shortform
- neverdots 1-3-4-5 5 1-5ever: initial-letter contraction
- onlydots 1-3-5 1-3-4-5 1-2-3 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- owndots 2-4-6 1-3-4-5ow: strong groupsign
- pickdots 1-2-3-4 2-4 1-4 1-3no contractions
- sevendots 2-3-4 1-5 1-2-3-6 2-6en: lower groupsign
- shalldots 1-4-6whole word: strong wordsign
- showdots 1-4-6 2-4-6sh: strong groupsign; ow: strong groupsign
- sixdots 2-3-4 2-4 1-3-4-6no contractions
- smalldots 2-3-4 1-3-4 1 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- startdots 3-4 3-4-5 2-3-4-5st: strong groupsign; ar: strong groupsign
- tendots 2-3-4-5 2-6en: lower groupsign
- todaydots 2-3-4-5 1-4-5whole word: shortform
- togetherdots 2-3-4-5 1-2-4-5 1-2-3-5whole word: shortform
- trydots 2-3-4-5 1-2-3-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- warmdots 2-4-5-6 3-4-5 1-3-4ar: strong groupsign
Nouns (95 words, 52 contracted)
- appledots 1 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3 1-5no contractions
- babydots 1-2 1 1-2 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- backdots 1-2 1 1-4 1-3no contractions
- balldots 1-2 1 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- beardots 1-2 1-5 3-4-5ar: strong groupsign
- beddots 1-2 1-2-4-6ed: strong groupsign
- belldots 1-2 1-5 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- birddots 1-2 2-4 1-2-3-5 1-4-5no contractions
- birthdaydots 1-2 2-4 1-2-3-5 1-4-5-6 5 1-4-5th: strong groupsign; day: initial-letter contraction
- boatdots 1-2 1-3-5 1 2-3-4-5no contractions
- boxdots 1-2 1-3-5 1-3-4-6no contractions
- boydots 1-2 1-3-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- breaddots 1-2 1-2-3-5 2 1-4-5ea: lower groupsign
- brotherdots 1-2 1-2-3-5 1-3-5 2-3-4-6 1-2-3-5the: strong contraction
- cakedots 1-4 1 1-3 1-5no contractions
- cardots 1-4 3-4-5ar: strong groupsign
- catdots 1-4 1 2-3-4-5no contractions
- chairdots 1-6 1 2-4 1-2-3-5ch: strong groupsign
- chickendots 1-6 2-4 1-4 1-3 2-6ch: strong groupsign; en: lower groupsign
- childrendots 1-6 1-3-4-5whole word: shortform
- Christmasdots 6 1-6 1-2-3-5 2-4 3-4 1-3-4 1 2-3-4ch: strong groupsign; st: strong groupsign
- coatdots 1-4 1-3-5 1 2-3-4-5no contractions
- corndots 1-4 1-3-5 1-2-3-5 1-3-4-5no contractions
- cowdots 1-4 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- daydots 5 1-4-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- dogdots 1-4-5 1-3-5 1-2-4-5no contractions
- dolldots 1-4-5 1-3-5 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- doordots 1-4-5 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-2-3-5no contractions
- duckdots 1-4-5 1-3-6 1-4 1-3no contractions
- eggdots 1-5 1-2-4-5 1-2-4-5no contractions
- eyedots 1-5 1-3-4-5-6 1-5no contractions
- farmdots 1-2-4 3-4-5 1-3-4ar: strong groupsign
- farmerdots 1-2-4 3-4-5 1-3-4 1-2-4-5-6ar: strong groupsign; er: strong groupsign
- fatherdots 5 1-2-4whole word: initial-letter contraction
- feetdots 1-2-4 1-5 1-5 2-3-4-5no contractions
- firedots 1-2-4 2-4 1-2-3-5 1-5no contractions
- fishdots 1-2-4 2-4 1-4-6sh: strong groupsign
- floordots 1-2-4 1-2-3 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-2-3-5no contractions
- flowerdots 1-2-4 1-2-3 2-4-6 1-2-4-5-6ow: strong groupsign; er: strong groupsign
- gamedots 1-2-4-5 1 1-3-4 1-5no contractions
- gardendots 1-2-4-5 3-4-5 1-4-5 2-6ar: strong groupsign; en: lower groupsign
- girldots 1-2-4-5 2-4 1-2-3-5 1-2-3no contractions
- goodbyedots 1-2-4-5 1-4-5 1-2 1-3-4-5-6 1-5good: shortform
- grassdots 1-2-4-5 1-2-3-5 1 2-3-4 2-3-4no contractions
- grounddots 1-2-4-5 1-2-3-5 4-6 1-4-5ound: final-letter groupsign
- handdots 1-2-5 1-2-3-4-6and: strong contraction
- headdots 1-2-5 2 1-4-5ea: lower groupsign
- hilldots 1-2-5 2-4 1-2-3 1-2-3no contractions
- homedots 1-2-5 1-3-5 1-3-4 1-5no contractions
- horsedots 1-2-5 1-3-5 1-2-3-5 2-3-4 1-5no contractions
- housedots 1-2-5 1-2-5-6 2-3-4 1-5ou: strong groupsign
- kittydots 1-3 2-4 2-3-4-5 2-3-4-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- legdots 1-2-3 1-5 1-2-4-5no contractions
- letterdots 1-2-3 1-2-3-5whole word: shortform
- mandots 1-3-4 1 1-3-4-5no contractions
- mendots 1-3-4 2-6en: lower groupsign
- milkdots 1-3-4 2-4 1-2-3 1-3no contractions
- moneydots 1-3-4 5 1-3-5 1-3-4-5-6one: initial-letter contraction
- morningdots 1-3-4 1-3-5 1-2-3-5 1-3-4-5 3-4-6ing: strong groupsign
- motherdots 5 1-3-4whole word: initial-letter contraction
- namedots 5 1-3-4-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- nestdots 1-3-4-5 1-5 3-4st: strong groupsign
- nightdots 1-3-4-5 2-4 1-2-6 2-3-4-5gh: strong groupsign
- paperdots 1-2-3-4 1 1-2-3-4 1-2-4-5-6er: strong groupsign
- partydots 5 1-2-3-4 1-3-4-5-6part: initial-letter contraction
- picturedots 1-2-3-4 2-4 1-4 2-3-4-5 1-3-6 1-2-3-5 1-5no contractions
- pigdots 1-2-3-4 2-4 1-2-4-5no contractions
- rabbitdots 1-2-3-5 1 2-3 2-4 2-3-4-5bb: lower groupsign
- raindots 1-2-3-5 1 3-5in: lower groupsign
- ringdots 1-2-3-5 3-4-6ing: strong groupsign
- robindots 1-2-3-5 1-3-5 1-2 3-5in: lower groupsign
- Santa Clausdots 6 2-3-4 1 1-3-4-5 2-3-4-5 1, space, 6 1-4 1-2-3 1 1-3-6 2-3-4no contractions
- schooldots 2-3-4 1-6 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-2-3ch: strong groupsign
- seeddots 2-3-4 1-5 1-2-4-6ed: strong groupsign
- sheepdots 1-4-6 1-5 1-5 1-2-3-4sh: strong groupsign
- shoedots 1-4-6 1-3-5 1-5sh: strong groupsign
- sisterdots 2-3-4 2-4 3-4 1-2-4-5-6st: strong groupsign; er: strong groupsign
- snowdots 2-3-4 1-3-4-5 2-4-6ow: strong groupsign
- songdots 2-3-4 5-6 1-2-4-5ong: final-letter groupsign
- squirreldots 2-3-4 1-2-3-4-5 1-3-6 2-4 1-2-3-5 1-2-3-5 1-5 1-2-3no contractions
- stickdots 3-4 2-4 1-4 1-3st: strong groupsign
- streetdots 3-4 1-2-3-5 1-5 1-5 2-3-4-5st: strong groupsign
- sundots 2-3-4 1-3-6 1-3-4-5no contractions
- tabledots 2-3-4-5 1 1-2 1-2-3 1-5no contractions
- thingdots 1-4-5-6 3-4-6th: strong groupsign; ing: strong groupsign
- timedots 5 2-3-4-5whole word: initial-letter contraction
- topdots 2-3-4-5 1-3-5 1-2-3-4no contractions
- toydots 2-3-4-5 1-3-5 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- treedots 2-3-4-5 1-2-3-5 1-5 1-5no contractions
- watchdots 2-4-5-6 1 2-3-4-5 1-6ch: strong groupsign
- waterdots 2-4-5-6 1 2-3-4-5 1-2-4-5-6er: strong groupsign
- waydots 2-4-5-6 1 1-3-4-5-6no contractions
- winddots 2-4-5-6 3-5 1-4-5in: lower groupsign
- windowdots 2-4-5-6 3-5 1-4-5 2-4-6in: lower groupsign; ow: strong groupsign
- wooddots 2-4-5-6 1-3-5 1-3-5 1-4-5no contractions
How to read the list
Each word shows its braille, then its dot numbers with one group per cell, then the names of the contractions it uses. A word with no line of names is spelled letter by letter.
The names are the types in the rules. A wordsign stands for a whole word, a groupsign for a group of letters inside a word, and a shortform is an abbreviated spelling of one particular word. UEB has nine types of contraction, each with its own rules. (ICEB 2.2, 10.1–10.9) The braille contractions page explains each type.
the2-3-4-6whole word: strong contraction
they2-3-4-6 1-3-4-5-6the: strong contraction
mother5 1-3-4whole word: initial-letter contraction
How many of the words are contracted
The Dolch list is 315 common words: 220 service words in five levels and 95 nouns. (Dolch, 1936) In Grade 2, 182 of them use at least one contraction, and 74 are a single contraction from start to end.
Counted from the braille liblouis 3.39.0 produced for each word when this page was built.
| Level | Words | Contracted | One contraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primer | 40 | 19 | 14 |
| Primer | 52 | 29 | 16 |
| First grade | 41 | 26 | 14 |
| Second grade | 46 | 30 | 17 |
| Third grade | 41 | 26 | 6 |
| Nouns | 95 | 52 | 7 |
| All levels | 315 | 182 | 74 |
Which contractions a word can use
Whole words standing alone
An alphabetic or strong wordsign stands for its word only when the word stands alone: a space, hyphen or dash on each side, with nothing between but punctuation such as quotation marks, brackets or a full stop. It is also used before an apostrophe and d, ll, re, s, t or ve, as in it’s ⠭⠄⠎ and you’ll ⠽⠄⠇⠇. (ICEB 2.6, 10.1.1–10.1.2, 10.2.1–10.2.2)
havewhole word: alphabetic wordsign
Letter groups inside words
The strong contractions for and, for, of, the and with, the strong groupsigns such as th and ing, and the initial-letter contractions such as one are used wherever their letters occur, inside longer words too, unless another rule limits them. (ICEB 10.3.1, 10.4.1, 10.7.1)
theythe: strong contraction
thingth: strong groupsign; ing: strong groupsign
moneyone: initial-letter contraction
Shortforms
Shortforms are abbreviated spellings of particular words, such as ⠁⠃ for about. They are used only for the words in the shortforms list in the Rules and the longer words listed with them. (ICEB 10.9, Appendix 1) Because, before, together and always are all shortforms.
becausewhole word: shortform
The be sign
The lower groupsign for be is used when be forms the first syllable of a word, as in become. In been, best and better it does not, so the b and the e are written out. (ICEB 10.6.1)
beenen: lower groupsign
Notes on the list
Words UEB spells out
Older codes, such as EBAE, the retired US code, used some contractions and signs that UEB dropped or changed. (ICEB 1.3.1–1.3.3) So in UEB, to and by are written letter by letter, and into uses only the in sign:
intoin: lower groupsign
Capitals and the apostrophe
I, Christmas and Santa Claus start with the capital sign ⠠ (dot 6), one for each capital letter. The apostrophe in don’t is ⠄ (dot 3).
Which copy of the list
Edward William Dolch first published his list in 1936, in The Elementary School Journal. He made it from the words common to three published lists of the words children read and use, one of them counted from primers and first readers of the 1920s. (Dolch, 1936) Published copies of the list differ slightly. Wikipedia’s copy adds left to the second-grade words and lists goat, woman and women among the nouns in place of goodbye. (Wikipedia)
This page uses the copy published by SightWords.com. Its 220 service words match dolchword.net word for word; its level names follow dolchword.net and Wikipedia.
A teaching list
These are 315 words chosen for early readers, not the most frequent words in English today. For any other word, type it into the contraction lookup or the braille translator.
Questions
What are the Dolch words?
A list of common English words compiled by Edward William Dolch and first published in 1936: 220 service words in five levels, from pre-primer to third grade, and 95 nouns. Schools still use it to teach early reading.
Which Dolch words are a single braille cell?
32 of them: and, can, for, go, in, it, not, the, you, be, but, do, have, like, out, so, that, this, was, will, with, as, every, from, his, just, of, were, us, very, which, shall. Each is a one-cell contraction standing alone. The word a is one cell too: the letter a, which is not a contraction.
Why is been not written with the be sign?
Because be is not a syllable of its own in been. The be sign is kept for words where be is the first syllable, such as become and being, and the rules list been, best and better as words that spell it out.
Why are to and by written out in full?
Older English braille codes, including the retired American code EBAE, had contractions for to, into and by. Unified English Braille dropped them, so they are spelled letter by letter.
Rules: Rules of Unified English Braille, Third Edition 2024, cited by section number. Braille examples come from liblouis 3.39.0. All sources and when they were checked