Text to Morse · Morse to Text
Morse Code Translator
A Morse code translator is a tool that converts text to Morse code and Morse code to text using the International Morse Code alphabet of dots, dashes and timed spaces. Our Morse code translator works both ways: type English to get dots and dashes, or paste dots and dashes to get English, then hear the message as Morse code audio or watch it as a flashing signal lamp.
Morse input: use . and - with a space between letters and / between words. Press Ctrl + Enter to play.
The translator gives 4 main benefits: instant Morse code conversion, Morse code with sound at 5–40 words per minute (WPM), a visual light signal and copy-and-paste output. Learners, amateur radio (HAM) operators, teachers, puzzle makers and escape room designers use the tool to learn Morse code, check messages and build codes. The tool has 6 main parts: an input field, a lookup table, letter and word separators, a timing unit, an audio generator and an output field.
- 26
- Letters A–Z
- 10
- Numbers 0–9
- 18
- Punctuation marks
01
What Is a Morse Code Translator?
A Morse code translator is a converter that encodes text into Morse code and decodes Morse code back into text. The translator maps every letter, number and punctuation mark to a fixed pattern of dots (·) and dashes (−) defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1.
Morse code translators come in 5 main types: text-to-Morse encoders, Morse-to-text decoders, Morse code audio translators, visual Morse decoders for signal lamps and flashlights, and real-time radio decoders, such as Fldigi and CW Skimmer. Online tools translate International Morse Code. American Morse Code, the original railroad telegraph code, and Wabun Code, the Japanese kana code, use different tables.
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail built the electrical telegraph and its code between 1837 and 1844, and the first long-distance message ran from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore on 24 May 1844. Guglielmo Marconi carried Morse code over radio from the 1890s, and every Morse machine since then — telegraph key, radio set or web app — sends the same dots and dashes.
6 parts of a Morse code translator
Input field. The input field receives English text or dots and dashes. The translator reads the input one character at a time.
Lookup table. The lookup table maps 54 characters to Morse code: 26 letters, 10 numbers and 18 punctuation marks from ITU-R M.1677-1.
Separators. The letter separator is a space and the word separator is a slash (/). Separators tell the decoder where each letter and word ends.
Timing unit. The timing unit sets the length of every dot, dash and gap. One unit lasts 1.2 ÷ WPM seconds, so a dot at 20 WPM lasts 60 milliseconds (0.06 s).
Audio generator. The audio generator switches a 400–900 hertz (Hz) sine tone on and off. This on-off keying (OOK) of a continuous wave (CW) is the same method radio operators use.
Output field. The output field shows the translated message. You read it, play it as sound or light, or copy and paste it into another app.
Select a part to see what it does.
8 uses of Morse code translators
Amateur radio (HAM) operators decode continuous wave (CW) contacts, called a QSO, and check call signs. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) station W1AW broadcasts Morse code practice on the air.
Pilots confirm VOR and NDB navigation signals by their 2- or 3-letter Morse identifier, printed on aeronautical charts next to the dots and dashes.
Navies send silent ship-to-ship messages with signal lamps. Military radio operators train in Morse code for low-power, long-range radio communication.
SOS (··· −−− ···) marks a distress call by radio, flashlight, whistle or tapping. Rescue teams recognise the pattern without knowing the full Morse code alphabet.
Teachers use Morse code to explain telegraph history, binary-style encoding and signal timing. Students learn Morse code with sound and practise with quizzes.
People with limited movement type with Morse code using 1 or 2 switches. Android's Gboard keyboard includes a Morse code input mode for assistive communication.
Game designers, puzzle makers and escape room builders hide clues as dots, dashes, light flashes and beeps. Players use a Morse code decoder to solve them.
Developers build Morse encoders as programming exercises. Puzzle makers use Morse code as one layer of a cipher, but Morse code is an encoding, not encryption: anyone with a Morse code chart reads it.
02
How Does a Morse Code Translator Work?
A Morse code translator works in 5 steps: capture, normalize, traverse, time and emit. The translator captures each character, converts it to uppercase, finds its dot-dash pattern in the lookup table, converts the pattern into timed units, and emits the units as text, sound and light.
Decoding runs the same steps in reverse. The decoder splits the input at slashes into words and at spaces into letters, then matches each dot-dash group to a letter, number or punctuation mark.
Morse code timing follows 5 rules
- 1.A dot lasts 1 unit.
- 2.A dash lasts 3 units.
- 3.A gap inside a letter lasts 1 unit.
- 4.A gap between letters lasts 3 units.
- 5.A gap between words lasts 7 units.
One unit lasts 1.2 ÷ WPM seconds. The reference word PARIS is exactly 50 units long, so 20 WPM means 1,000 units per minute and a 60-millisecond dot.
The Morse code tree shows the lookup step: start at the top, move left for a dot and right for a dash, and stop at the letter.
- 01
Capture
SThe character is read from your message.
- 02
Normalise
s → SCase is folded; unsupported glyphs are flagged.
- 03
Traverse
L · L · LA path through the tree: dot goes left, dash goes right.
- 04
Time
1+1+1+1+1Dot = 1 unit, dash = 3, with 1-unit gaps inside a letter.
- 05
Emit
Units become tone, light and text output.
Tap any letter in the tree to trace it.
03
How to Use Our Morse Code Translator
To use our Morse code translator, choose a direction, type or paste your message, then read, play or copy the result. The translator converts text to Morse code and Morse code to text in real time.
5 steps to translate a message
- 1
Choose a direction
Select Text → Morse to encode English, or Morse → Text to decode dots and dashes.
- 2
Type or paste the message
Enter English text, or Morse code with a space between letters and a slash (/) between words.
- 3
Read the translation
The output field updates as you type. Unsupported characters appear in a warning under the output.
- 4
Play it with sound or light
Press Play signal to hear Morse code audio. Set speed (5–40 WPM), tone (400–900 Hz) and volume, and turn on Light flash for a signal lamp effect.
- 5
Copy and paste
Press Copy to place the result on your clipboard for a chat, email or document.
Translate Morse code by tapping
To translate Morse code by tapping, press and hold the telegraph key below, or your Space bar. A short press sends a dot, a press longer than 2 units sends a dash, and the receiver decodes each letter after a 3-unit pause.
Radio operators send Morse code with 4 kinds of Morse keys: straight keys, bugs (semi-automatic keys), paddles and electronic keyers. A straight key makes every dot and dash by hand; a paddle connected to a keyer makes perfectly timed dots and dashes.
Dots are shorter than 200 ms
Translate Morse code from sound or an image
Our translator decodes typed or pasted Morse code. To decode Morse code from sound or a microphone, record the audio and open it in Fldigi or CW Skimmer, or view the recording in Audacity and read the dots and dashes from the waveform. To decode Morse code from an image, type the dots and dashes you see into the Morse → Text field.
04
Morse Code Dots, Dashes and Symbols
Morse code uses 2 signal symbols — the dot (·, called “dit”) and the dash (−, called “dah”) — and 3 lengths of silence. A dash is 3 times longer than a dot, and the silences separate symbols, letters and words.
Morse code timing explorer
Move the speed slider to see how long each element lasts.
- Dot (dit) 0 ms
- Dash (dah) 0 ms
- Symbol gap 0 ms
- Letter gap 0 ms
- Word gap 0 ms
4 written Morse code symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| . or · | Dot (dit), 1 unit of signal |
| - or − | Dash (dah), 3 units of signal |
| space | Letter separator, 3 units of silence |
| / | Word separator, 7 units of silence |
Morse code punctuation
International Morse Code defines 18 Morse code punctuation symbols, including the period (·−·−·−), comma (−−··−−) and question mark (··−−··).
| Character | Code | Rhythm | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| . | ·−·−·− | ||
| , | −−··−− | ||
| ? | ··−−·· | ||
| ' | ·−−−−· | ||
| ! | −·−·−− | ||
| / | −··−· | ||
| ( | −·−−· | ||
| ) | −·−−·− | ||
| & | ·−··· | ||
| : | −−−··· | ||
| ; | −·−·−· | ||
| = | −···− | ||
| + | ·−·−· | ||
| - | −····− | ||
| _ | ··−−·− | ||
| " | ·−··−· | ||
| $ | ···−··− | ||
| @ | ·−−·−· |
Prosigns and Q codes
Prosigns are letter pairs sent without a letter gap to control a conversation. Q codes are 3-letter abbreviations starting with Q that HAM operators use in every QSO.
Prosigns
Q codes
05
Morse Code Alphabet A-Z
The Morse code alphabet has 26 letters, from A (·−) to Z (−−··), each made of 1 to 4 symbols. E (·) and T (−) are the shortest letters: Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail gave the shortest codes to the most common English letters.
Morse code letters differ from phonetic alphabets. The NATO phonetic alphabet spells letters by voice (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie), and Morse code spells letters with sound or light pulses.
Complete Morse code chart: letters A–Z
Select play on any row to hear the letter as Morse code audio.
| Character | Code | Rhythm | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ·− | ||
| B | −··· | ||
| C | −·−· | ||
| D | −·· | ||
| E | · | ||
| F | ··−· | ||
| G | −−· | ||
| H | ···· | ||
| I | ·· | ||
| J | ·−−− | ||
| K | −·− | ||
| L | ·−·· | ||
| M | −− |
| Character | Code | Rhythm | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | −· | ||
| O | −−− | ||
| P | ·−−· | ||
| Q | −−·− | ||
| R | ·−· | ||
| S | ··· | ||
| T | − | ||
| U | ··− | ||
| V | ···− | ||
| W | ·−− | ||
| X | −··− | ||
| Y | −·−− | ||
| Z | −−·· |
Morse code alphabet quiz
To learn Morse code, use the Koch Method: listen at full speed, about 20 WPM, and add a new letter after you reach 90% accuracy. Press Listen, then pick the letter you hear.
06
Morse Code Numbers 0-9
Morse code numbers 0–9 all use exactly 5 symbols. Numbers 1–5 start with dots, and the count of leading dots equals the digit: 1 is ·−−−− and 5 is ·····. Numbers 6–9 start with dashes: 6 is −···· and 9 is −−−−·, and 0 is 5 dashes (−−−−−).
Radio contests use cut numbers to save time, such as T (−) for 0 and N (−·) for 9.
Morse code numbers pattern
Select a number to hear it. Watch the dots slide across the 5 positions.
07
Popular Morse Code Examples: SOS, Hello and Love
The 3 most popular Morse code examples are SOS (··· −−− ···), Hello (···· · ·−·· ·−·· −−−) and Love (·−·· −−− ···− ·). SOS is the international distress signal, Hello is the classic first message, and Love appears in gifts, jewellery and tattoos.
SOS became the international distress signal at the 1906 International Radiotelegraph Convention in Berlin, in force from 1 July 1908. The radio operators on the RMS Titanic sent CQD and SOS on 15 April 1912.
Select an example to see and hear its Morse code.
27 units · 2.2 s at 15 WPM
08
All Morse Code Tools
Our Morse code toolkit has 16 free tools that encode, decode, play, flash, scan and teach Morse code. Each tool runs in your browser, so your text, audio, photos and videos never leave your device.
Pick a tool by what you have: text, a recording, a picture, a blinking light or your own fingers. Hover a card to watch its signal word keyed in dots and dashes.
- 01 · Translate Text to Morse Code Convert any text into dots and dashes, in 4 output formats. Open tool
- 02 · Translate Morse Code to Text Decode dots, dashes, di-dahs or binary back into plain text. Open tool
- 03 · Sound Morse Code Audio Generator Turn text into a downloadable Morse code WAV file. Open tool
- 04 · Sound Morse Code Audio Decoder Upload or record beeps and read the message as text. Open tool
- 05 · Light & vision Morse Code Image Translator Read dots and dashes from a photo, or turn text into a Morse image. Open tool
- 06 · Tap & type Morse Code Tapper Tap out Morse with your finger and see it decoded live. Open tool
- 07 · Light & vision Morse Code Flashlight Flash any message with your screen or phone torch. Open tool
- 08 · Light & vision Morse Code Light Decoder Hold a button while a light is on and read the message. Open tool
- 09 · Light & vision Morse Code Camera Scanner Point your camera at a blinking light and read it live. Open tool
- 10 · Translate Live Morse Code Translator Every key you press is sent as Morse the moment you type it. Open tool
- 11 · Tap & type Morse Code Keyboard Type with two keys — dit and dah — with live letter prediction. Open tool
- 12 · Learn Morse Code Practice Koch-method copy practice with real-speed code groups. Open tool
- 13 · Learn Morse Code Quiz Test yourself in 4 quiz modes with timers and streaks. Open tool
- 14 · Light & vision Morse Code Video Translator Decode blinking lights or beeps in a video, or make a Morse video. Open tool
- 15 · Learn Morse Code Game Race the clock in 60-second Morse Sprint rounds. Open tool
- 16 · Learn Learn Morse Code A 5-stage path from your first letter to real copy. Open tool
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you translate Morse code into English?
To translate Morse code into English, match each dot-dash group to its letter in the Morse code chart. Select Morse → Text in our Morse code translator, paste the code with a space between letters and a slash (/) between words, and the English text appears instantly.
Can I copy and paste Morse code?
Yes, you can copy and paste Morse code into and out of our Morse code translator. Press Copy to place the dots and dashes on your clipboard for a message, email or document.
Is Morse code still used today?
Yes, Morse code is still used today by amateur radio operators, aviation navigation beacons, navy signal lamp crews and assistive communication tools. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) removed the Morse code test from US amateur radio licenses in 2007, and continuous wave (CW) remains a popular HAM mode.
Is Morse code the same as binary?
No, Morse code is not the same as binary. Binary uses 2 equal-length states, 0 and 1. Morse code uses dots, dashes and 3 lengths of silence, and its codes range from 1 symbol (E) to 7 symbols ($).
Is Morse code only in English?
No, Morse code is not only in English. International Morse Code covers the 26 Latin letters, and extensions cover accented letters such as Ä (·−·−) and É (··−··). Wabun Code encodes Japanese kana, and separate Morse tables exist for Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew.
What does three short, three long, three short signals mean?
Three short, three long, three short signals mean SOS, the international distress signal (··· −−− ···). Senders transmit SOS as one continuous pattern without letter gaps, by radio, light, sound or tapping.
Can Morse code be written without audio?
Yes, Morse code can be written without audio. Writers use a period (.) or middle dot (·) for a dot, a hyphen (-) for a dash, a space between letters and a slash (/) between words. Signal lamps, flashlights and taps carry Morse code without sound.