Unit 5 Shortform Words (First Two Letters)
Shortform words do not require any special braille symbol. They are simply shortened forms of common words. They are shortened by omitting vowels or other parts of a word. There is a total of 75 shortform words.
Guidelines:
Shortform words can be used as both whole-word and part-words.
Part-word usage is permitted for both compound and divided words.
They can also be used as whole proper names and as parts of proper names.
Avoid using a shortform word if it would cause confusion in pronunciation.
Shortform Words (First Two Letters)
This group of shortform words uses the first two letters of the word it represents.
| Word | Shortform | Braille | Word | Shortform | Braille |
| about | ab | ⠁⠃ | blind | bl | ⠃⠇ |
| according | ac | ⠁⠉ | either | ei | ⠑⠊ |
| after | af | ⠁⠋ | friend | fr | ⠋⠗ |
| again | ag | ⠁⠛ | little * | ll | ⠇⠇ |
| also | al | ⠁⠇ |
NOTE: Notice that little is an exception and uses two ls instead of the first two letters.
Examples
I will call my friend again after a little bit.
I will call my fr ag af a ll bit.
⠠⠊⠀⠺⠀⠉⠁⠇⠇⠀⠍⠽⠀⠋⠗⠀⠁⠛⠀⠁⠋⠀⠁⠀⠇⠇⠀⠃⠊⠞⠲
According to the news we will have either sun or fog.
Ac to the news we will have ei sun or fog.
⠠⠁⠉⠀⠞⠕⠀⠮⠀⠝⠑⠺⠎⠀⠺⠑⠀⠺⠀⠓⠀⠑⠊⠀⠎⠥⠝⠀⠕⠗⠀⠋⠕⠛⠲
It is cold and it is also about to hail.
It is cold and it is al ab to hail.
⠠⠭⠀⠊⠎⠀⠉⠕⠇⠙⠀⠯⠀⠭⠀⠊⠎⠀⠁⠇⠀⠁⠃⠀⠞⠕⠀⠓⠁⠊⠇⠲
My boyfriend is blind.
My boyfr is bl.
⠠⠍⠽⠀⠃⠕⠽⠋⠗⠀⠊⠎⠀⠃⠇⠲