Standard Lemma guide

Braille

adj · name · noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbɹeɪ̯l/
  • /ˈbɹeɪ.əl/
  • [ˈbɹweɪ̯l]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪl
  • /ˈbɹaɪ̯/
  • [ˈbɹwaɪ̯]
  • rhymes with -aɪ
  • homophone: braai
  • CMU ARPABET: B R EY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Alternative letter-case form of braille.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, relating to or written in braille.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

Louis Braille

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Alternative letter-case form of braille.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A system of writing in which letters and some combinations of letters are represented by raised dots arranged in three or four rows of two dots each and are read by the blind and partially sighted using the fingertips.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To write in, or convert into, the braille writing system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I played back my recorded notes and brailled them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

to identify something by touch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a point system of writing in which patterns of raised dots represent letters and numerals

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: point system

9

noun

Meaning 9

French educator who lost his sight at the age of three and who invented a system of writing and printing for sightless people (1809-1852)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Louis Braille

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: educator, pedagogue, pedagog

10

verb

Meaning 10

transcribe in braille

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transliterate, transcribe

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French braille, named after French educator Louis Braille (1809–1852). The /eɪl/ seems to reflect a spelling pronunciation; French has /aj/ instead.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Cherokee: ᏗᏂᎨᏫ ᎤᏃᏪᎶᏙᏗ (dinigewi unowelododi) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Chinese Mandarin: 盲文 (mángwén) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Chinese Mandarin: 點字 /点字 (diǎnzì) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Chinese Mandarin: 盲字 (mángzì) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Danish: punktskrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • Dutch: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Esperanto: Brajlo — system of writing using raised dots
  • Finnish: pistekirjoitus — system of writing using raised dots
  • French: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • French: Braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Georgian: ბრაილის შრიფტი (brailis šripṭi) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Georgian: ბრაილი (braili) — system of writing using raised dots
  • German: Brailleschrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • German: Blindenschrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • Greek: κώδικας Μπράιγ (kódikas Bráig) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Hebrew: כתב בריל (ktav brail) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Icelandic: blindraletur — system of writing using raised dots
  • Irish: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Irish: scríbhneoireacht bhraille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Italian: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Japanese: 点字 (tenji) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Japanese: ブライユ点字 (Buraiyu tenji) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Korean: 점자 (jeomja) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Māori: tuhi matapō — system of writing using raised dots
  • Norwegian: blindeskrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • Portuguese: braile — system of writing using raised dots
  • Portuguese: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Russian: а́збука Бра́йля (ázbuka Brájlja) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Russian: систе́ма Бра́йля (sistéma Brájlja) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Russian: брайль (brajlʹ) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Spanish: braille — system of writing using raised dots
  • Swedish: Brailleskrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • Swedish: punktskrift — system of writing using raised dots
  • Telugu: బ్రెయిలీ (breyilī) — system of writing using raised dots
  • Vietnamese: chữ nổi — system of writing using raised dots
  • Volapük: bleinanatonatem — system of writing using raised dots
  • Finnish: kirjoittaa pistekirjoituksella — to write in braille
  • Finnish: tunnistaa tunnustelemalla — to identify by touch