Arabic Braille Alphabet: Complete Guide to Braille in Arabic (بريل عربي) (ES)
Complete guide to Arabic braille alphabet. All 28 Arabic letters in braille, numbers, reading direction (right-to-left), and how to translate Arabic to braille.
By Braille Translator Team
What Is Arabic Braille? (ES)
Arabic braille (بريل عربي) is the braille code used to write the Arabic language. It represents all 28 Arabic letters, diacritical marks (tashkeel), numbers, and punctuation using the standard 6-dot braille cell.
Unlike printed Arabic (which reads right to left), Arabic braille is read left to right — the same direction as all other braille systems. This is because braille is a tactile system, and fingertip movement is standardized across all languages.
Arabic braille was developed based on the French braille system, with modifications to represent the unique Arabic phonemes. Convert any Arabic text to braille with our Braille Translator.
Arabic Braille Alphabet (28 Letters) (ES)
Group 1: Letters Based on French Braille (ES)
Many Arabic braille letters correspond to their French/English equivalents with similar sounds:
| Arabic | Name | Braille | Dots | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ا | Alif | ⠁ | 1 | a |
| ب | Ba | ⠃ | 1-2 | b |
| ت | Ta | ⠞ | 2-3-4-5 | t |
| ث | Tha | ⠹ | 1-4-5-6 | th |
| ج | Jim | ⠚ | 2-4-5 | j |
| ح | Ha | ⠱ | 1-5-6 | ḥ |
| خ | Kha | ⠭ | 1-3-4-6 | kh |
| د | Dal | ⠙ | 1-4-5 | d |
| ذ | Dhal | ⠮ | 2-3-4-6 | dh |
| ر | Ra | ⠗ | 1-2-3-5 | r |
| ز | Zay | ⠵ | 1-3-5-6 | z |
| س | Sin | ⠎ | 2-3-4 | s |
| ش | Shin | ⠩ | 1-4-6 | sh |
| ص | Sad | ⠯ | 1-2-3-4-6 | ṣ |
| ض | Dad | ⠫ | 1-2-4-6 | ḍ |
| ط | Ta | ⠾ | 2-3-4-5-6 | ṭ |
| ظ | Dha | ⠿ | 1-2-3-4-5-6 | ẓ |
| ع | Ain | ⠷ | 1-2-3-5-6 | ʿ |
| غ | Ghain | ⠣ | 1-2-6 | gh |
| ف | Fa | ⠋ | 1-2-4 | f |
| ق | Qaf | ⠟ | 1-2-3-4-5 | q |
| ك | Kaf | ⠅ | 1-3 | k |
| ل | Lam | ⠇ | 1-2-3 | l |
| م | Mim | ⠍ | 1-3-4 | m |
| ن | Nun | ⠝ | 1-3-4-5 | n |
| ه | Ha | ⠓ | 1-2-5 | h |
| و | Waw | ⠺ | 2-4-5-6 | w |
| ي | Ya | ⠽ | 1-3-4-5-6 | y |
Additional Characters (ES)
| Character | Name | Braille | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|
| ء | Hamza | ⠌ | 3-4 |
| ة | Ta Marbuta | ⠡ | 1-6 |
| ى | Alif Maqsura | ⠻ | 1-2-4-5-6 |
| لا | Lam-Alif | ⠧ | 1-2-3-6 |
Arabic Diacritical Marks (Tashkeel) in Braille (ES)
Arabic uses diacritical marks (حركات) to indicate short vowels:
| Mark | Name | Braille | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|
| َ | Fatha (a) | ⠢ | 2-6 |
| ُ | Damma (u) | ⠥ | 1-3-6 |
| ِ | Kasra (i) | ⠔ | 3-5 |
| ّ | Shadda (double) | ⠠ | 6 |
| ْ | Sukun (no vowel) | ⠄ | 3 |
| ً | Tanwin Fatha | ⠢⠝ | 2-6, 1-3-4-5 |
| ٌ | Tanwin Damma | ⠥⠝ | 1-3-6, 1-3-4-5 |
| ٍ | Tanwin Kasra | ⠔⠝ | 3-5, 1-3-4-5 |
Arabic Braille Numbers (ES)
Arabic braille uses the same number indicator ⠼ (dots 3-4-5-6) as other braille systems:
| Number | Arabic | Braille |
|---|---|---|
| ١ (1) | واحد | ⠼⠁ |
| ٢ (2) | اثنان | ⠼⠃ |
| ٣ (3) | ثلاثة | ⠼⠉ |
| ٤ (4) | أربعة | ⠼⠙ |
| ٥ (5) | خمسة | ⠼⠑ |
| ٦ (6) | ستة | ⠼⠋ |
| ٧ (7) | سبعة | ⠼⠛ |
| ٨ (8) | ثمانية | ⠼⠓ |
| ٩ (9) | تسعة | ⠼⠊ |
| ٠ (0) | صفر | ⠼⠚ |
Reading Direction: Arabic Braille vs. Print Arabic (ES)
| Feature | Print Arabic | Arabic Braille |
|---|---|---|
| Reading direction | Right to left ← | Left to right → |
| Letter connection | Letters connect in cursive | Each letter is a separate cell |
| Letter forms | 2-4 forms per letter (initial, medial, final, isolated) | 1 form per letter |
| Vowel marks | Often omitted | Can be included for clarity |
The left-to-right reading direction of Arabic braille is the same as all braille systems worldwide, standardized for consistency in tactile reading.
Arabic Braille in the Arab World (ES)
Arabic braille is used across 22 Arabic-speaking countries:
- Saudi Arabia: Al-Noor Institute for the Blind
- Egypt: Cairo’s Taha Hussein Library (largest Arabic braille collection)
- UAE: Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination
- Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia: Active braille education programs
Challenges (ES)
- Limited braille literacy: Only an estimated 10% of blind Arabic speakers read braille
- Dialectal variation: While braille represents Modern Standard Arabic, spoken dialects vary significantly
- Digital accessibility: Growing use of screen readers and text-to-speech is competing with braille
How to Translate Arabic to Braille (ES)
- Visit our Braille Translator
- Type or paste Arabic text (عربي)
- The translator converts it to braille instantly
- Copy the braille Unicode output
Our translator supports all 28 Arabic letters and common diacritical marks.
Common Arabic Phrases in Braille (ES)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Braille |
|---|---|---|
| السلام عليكم | As-salaam alaykum | ⠁⠇⠎⠇⠁⠍ ⠷⠇⠊⠅⠍ |
| مرحبا | Marhaba | ⠍⠗⠱⠃⠁ |
| شكرا | Shukran | ⠩⠅⠗⠁ |
| من فضلك | Min fadlak | ⠍⠝ ⠋⠫⠇⠅ |
| نعم | Na’am | ⠝⠷⠍ |
| لا | La | ⠇⠁ |
Frequently Asked Questions (ES)
Is Arabic braille read right to left? (ES)
No. Arabic braille is read left to right, like all braille systems. Only printed Arabic is read right to left.
How many Arabic braille characters are there? (ES)
Arabic braille includes 28 basic letters, additional characters (hamza, ta marbuta, etc.), diacritical marks, numbers, and punctuation — approximately 50+ unique cells.
Can I translate Arabic braille from a photo? (ES)
Yes. Use our Image to Text tool to photograph Arabic braille and get the translation.
Is Arabic braille the same across all Arab countries? (ES)
The core Arabic braille code is standardized, but minor variations exist between countries for some punctuation and formatting conventions.