About the Morse Code Translator
Morse code turns every letter and number into a short pattern of dots and dashes. It was developed in the 1830s and 1840s for the electric telegraph by Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and others, and the international version used here is still known by amateur radio operators, pilots and sailors.
This translator works both ways. Type English to get Morse code, with letters separated by spaces and words separated by a slash. Switch the direction to paste in dots and dashes and read the message. Press Play sound to hear it beeped at 18 words per minute.
Patterns that are not valid Morse show up as [?], so you can spot a typo in a code you are decoding.
How to use it
- Choose Text to Morse or Morse to text.
- Type or paste your message. When decoding, put a space between letters and a slash between words.
- Copy the result, or press Play sound to hear it.
Example: Text to Morse
Before: SOS. Hello world!
After: ... --- ... .-.-.- / .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. -.-.--
Example: Morse to text
Before: .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. -.-.--
After: HELLO WORLD!
Morse code alphabet and numbers
- A: .-
- B: -...
- C: -.-.
- D: -..
- E: .
- F: ..-.
- G: --.
- H: ....
- I: ..
- J: .---
- K: -.-
- L: .-..
- M: --
- N: -.
- O: ---
- P: .--.
- Q: --.-
- R: .-.
- S: ...
- T: -
- U: ..-
- V: ...-
- W: .--
- X: -..-
- Y: -.--
- Z: --..
- 0: -----
- 1: .----
- 2: ..---
- 3: ...--
- 4: ....-
- 5: .....
- 6: -....
- 7: --...
- 8: ---..
- 9: ----.
Morse code timing rules
- A dot is one unit long.
- A dash is three units long.
- The gap between dots and dashes inside a letter is one unit.
- The gap between letters is three units.
- The gap between words is seven units.
Morse Code Translator FAQ
- What is SOS in Morse code?
- SOS is ... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots). It is sent as one continuous signal, which made it easy to recognize as the international distress call.
- How do you write a space in Morse code?
- Letters are separated by a short pause and words by a longer one. In writing, people put a space between letters and a slash or three spaces between words, and this translator reads both.
- Is Morse code still used?
- Yes. Amateur radio operators use it every day, aviation radio beacons identify themselves in Morse, and it works as a backup signal because it can be sent with light, sound or taps.
- How fast is the audio?
- About 18 words per minute with a 600 hertz tone, a comfortable speed for listening while you learn.
