Unit 5 Shortform Words (First Two Letters) [UEB ยง 10.9]
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.
⠠⠍⠽⠀⠃⠕⠽⠋⠗⠀⠊⠎⠀⠃⠇⠲