This free Morse code translator turns text into dots and dashes and decodes Morse back into words. You can play the signal at your chosen speed and pitch, watch it flash, and look up any letter, digit or punctuation mark.
- How to use the Morse code translator
- How Morse code is written
- The Morse code alphabet
- Numbers and punctuation
- SOS and other well-known signals
- Speed, tone and timing
- Fixing a message that will not decode
- Tips for learning Morse code
- FAQ
- Related tools
How to use the Morse code translator
- Type your message into the text box. The Morse version appears below it live, using a dot, a dash, a space between letters and a slash between words.
- To decode, paste Morse into the Morse box instead. Use dots, dashes, one space between letters and a slash with a space on each side between words. The plain text appears as you type.
- Set the speed from 5 to 40 words per minute and the tone from 400 to 1000 Hz, then press play to hear the message.
- Switch on the screen flash if you want to see the signal as light as well as hear it.
- Press copy to take the result with you.
Everything runs in your browser, and the sound is made on your device, so nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How Morse code is written
Morse code has only two signals: a short one called a dot and a long one called a dash. Each letter, digit and punctuation mark is a fixed pattern of them. The letter E is a single dot and T is a single dash. Common letters get short codes, which made messages quicker to send by telegraph.
Shown as a full stop. One unit of time when played as sound.
Shown as a hyphen. Three units long, so three times as long as a dot.
A single space in the text form. Three units of silence in sound.
Shown as a space, slash, space. Seven units of silence in sound.
The Morse code alphabet
These are the standard codes the translator uses for the letters A to Z. Learn them in small groups, such as the one-signal letters E and T, then the two-signal letters I, A, N and M.
| Letter | Morse code |
|---|---|
| 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 | --.. |
Numbers and punctuation
Digits follow a neat pattern. Each uses five signals, and the number of leading dots or dashes tells you where you are in the sequence.
| Digit | Morse code |
|---|---|
| 0 | ----- |
| 1 | .---- |
| 2 | ..--- |
| 3 | ...-- |
| 4 | ....- |
| 5 | ..... |
| 6 | -.... |
| 7 | --... |
| 8 | ---.. |
| 9 | ----. |
Punctuation marks have longer codes. These are among the ones you will see most often.
| Character | Morse code | Name |
|---|---|---|
| . | .-.-.- | Period |
| , | --..-- | Comma |
| ? | ..--.. | Question mark |
| ' | .----. | Apostrophe |
| ! | -.-.-- | Exclamation mark |
| / | -..-. | Slash |
| : | ---... | Colon |
| @ | .--.-. | At sign |
SOS and other well-known signals
The most famous Morse message is SOS: ... --- .... It was adopted as an international distress signal in the early 1900s, and it is a good one to try first. Type SOS into the translator and you will see the three letters separated by spaces, like any other word. The pattern is three short signals, three long ones, then three short ones again.
Despite the popular story, SOS does not stand for any words. It was chosen because the pattern is easy to send and hard to mistake. Try typing your own name, a short greeting or a date to practise reading the patterns by eye.
Speed, tone and timing
Morse timing is built from one basic unit. A dot lasts one unit, a dash three, the gap inside a letter one, the gap between letters three and the gap between words seven. Speed is measured in words per minute, based on the word PARIS, which uses 50 units.
At 5 words per minute one unit is 240 milliseconds, slow enough to follow while learning. At 20 words per minute it is 60 milliseconds. At 40 it is only 30. Start slow, and raise the speed once you can copy each letter without thinking. The tone control from 400 to 1000 Hz changes the pitch only, so choose whichever is comfortable to listen to for a few minutes.
The optional screen flash is useful for practice in a silent room, for working with light signals, or for checking how a message looks when only the visual cue is available.
Fixing a message that will not decode
When Morse to text gives odd results, the cause is nearly always spacing. Letters must be separated by a single space, and words by a space, a slash and a space. Two dots with no gap between them read as the letter I, but the same two dots with a space between them read as two letters E. Check for stray spaces at the start or end, copied line breaks and characters that look like dots or dashes but are not, such as a long dash from a word processor.
Tips for learning Morse code
Learn by sound, not by sight. Experienced operators hear a letter as a single rhythm, not as a list of dots and dashes. Play short words at a fair speed and try to name each letter as you hear it, then check against the text. Short, repeated practice sessions beat one long one. Ten minutes a day for a couple of weeks gets most people comfortable with the alphabet.
Frequently asked questions
How do I translate text to Morse code?
Type your message into the text box and the Morse code appears live. Letters become dots and dashes with a space between them, and a slash separates words. Press copy to take the result, or press play to hear it at your chosen speed and tone.
How do I translate Morse code to text?
Paste your Morse into the Morse box using dots and dashes. Put one space between letters and a space, slash, space between words. The decoded text appears as you type. If a letter looks wrong, check for a missing space or a stray character.
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots. It is the best-known distress signal, adopted in the early 1900s. It does not stand for any words. The pattern was chosen because it is simple to send and difficult to confuse with other signals.
What speed and tone should I choose?
For learning, try 5 to 10 words per minute so each letter is easy to hear. Raise it as you improve, up to 40. Tone is a matter of comfort. A pitch between 600 and 800 Hz is easy on most ears.
Can I see the message as well as hear it?
Yes. Turn on the optional screen flash and the display lights up in time with the dots and dashes while the sound plays. It helps with silent practice, or when you want to see how a light signal would look.
Does the translator send my text anywhere?
No. The translation and the sound both run in your browser, so your message stays on your device. Nothing is stored or uploaded, and reloading the page clears the boxes. Treat any online tool with care if your message is sensitive.
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