Morse Code Translator — Text to Morse and Back
Quick Answer
Morse code represents text as sequences of dots and dashes: A is ".-", B is "-...", and SOS is "... --- ...". The code was developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail and became the international standard for telegraph and radio communication, maintained today by the International Telecommunication Union in recommendation ITU-R M.1677.
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How Morse Code Works
Morse code is a character encoding in which each letter, number, or punctuation mark is represented by a unique sequence of two signal types: a short signal (dot, written ".", spoken "dit") and a long signal (dash, written "-", spoken "dah"). A dash is three times the duration of a dot, the gap between elements within a letter equals one dot, the gap between letters equals three dots, and the gap between words equals seven dots. This timing structure has been internationally standardized by the International Telecommunication Union and published in ITU-R Recommendation M.1677.
This translator converts text to Morse by looking up each character in an alphabet table, joining letters with single spaces and words with a slash. Going the other way, it splits the input on spaces to find letters and on slashes to find word boundaries, then looks up each Morse string in the reverse table. Audio playback uses the Web Audio API to generate 600 Hz sine-wave beeps at the standard 20 WPM speed (60 ms per dot), the same teaching speed published by the American Radio Relay League for newcomers to amateur radio. See also our binary translator and text case converter.
The Morse Timing Formula
Standard Morse timing is derived from the reference word PARIS, which is exactly 50 time units long (including the inter-word space). The speed formula is: dot duration (milliseconds) = 1200 ÷ WPM. At 20 words per minute, a dot is 60 ms, a dash is 3 × 60 = 180 ms, an intra-letter gap is 60 ms, an inter-letter gap is 180 ms, and an inter-word gap is 420 ms. To send "SOS" (... --- ...) at 20 WPM takes 9 × 60 + 6 × 180 + 3 × 180 + 8 × 60 = 540 + 1080 + 540 + 480 = about 2.6 seconds. The Farnsworth method keeps letters at 20 WPM but increases inter-letter gaps to make the overall rate feel slower — widely used by beginners.
Key Terms You Should Know
Dit: the spoken name for a dot (short signal). Dah: the spoken name for a dash (long signal). Prosign: a Morse abbreviation for a procedural signal, like AR (end of message) sent as ".-.-.". Q-code: a three-letter abbreviation system used with Morse, e.g., QTH for "location" or QSL for "acknowledge". CW (continuous wave): the amateur-radio term for Morse transmission, referring to the unmodulated carrier wave that is keyed on and off. WPM: words per minute, the standard Morse speed measurement based on the reference word PARIS.
International Morse Alphabet — Reference Data
The table below shows International Morse Code for the English alphabet and digits 0–9, per ITU-R M.1677-1. The most common letters have the shortest codes: E is a single dot and T is a single dash, an efficient design first proposed by Alfred Vail after counting letters in a newspaper type tray.
| Char | Morse | Char | Morse |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- | N | -. |
| B | -... | O | --- |
| C | -.-. | S | ... |
| E | . | T | - |
| H | .... | 0 | ----- |
| I | .. | 5 | ..... |
| K | -.- | 9 | ----. |
Practical Examples
Example 1 — HELLO WORLD. The string "HELLO WORLD" in International Morse is ".... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..". At 20 WPM it plays in about 4.5 seconds. Example 2 — Distress call. SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots, sent as one run-on symbol: "...---...". It is still the universal maritime distress signal under Annex IV of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Example 3 — Amateur radio call. A typical CW contact begins with the caller's sign, e.g., "CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW K", sent at 25 WPM in a few seconds — see the ARRL amateur Morse primer for how operators chain letters into fast on-air conversations.
Tips and Best Practices
Learn by sound, not sight. Practicing by ear (the Koch or Farnsworth method) builds faster recognition than memorizing dot patterns visually. Start at 20 WPM letter speed. Slow the spacing between letters rather than slowing the dots themselves — this avoids bad timing habits. Memorize E, T, A, N, I, M first. These six letters cover the most common English characters and use the shortest codes. Use the prosigns. AR (end of message) and SK (end of contact) make your sending more professional and easier to read. Keep volume moderate. The calculator's 600 Hz tone is standard for CW; earbuds at a low volume are enough to practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Morse code?
Morse code is a character encoding that represents letters and numbers as sequences of short and long signals, known as dots (dit) and dashes (dah). It was developed in the 1830s and 1840s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail for the electric telegraph, and later adapted as International Morse Code, which became the global standard for maritime and radio communication. The International Telecommunication Union still publishes the current Morse specification in ITU-R M.1677.
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS in Morse code is three dots, three dashes, three dots, written as '... --- ...' and sent as one continuous signal with no letter gaps. It was adopted as the international maritime distress call at the 1906 Berlin International Wireless Telegraph Convention because the pattern is short, unambiguous, and easy to recognize even in poor reception. Despite popular belief, SOS does not stand for 'Save Our Ship' — the letters were chosen solely for their simple rhythmic pattern.
How fast is standard Morse code?
The standard teaching speed for Morse code is 20 words per minute, using the word 'PARIS' as the reference (50 units long including spaces). At 20 WPM, a dot is 60 milliseconds, a dash is 180 ms, the gap between elements within a letter is 60 ms, the gap between letters is 180 ms, and the gap between words is 420 ms. Amateur radio operators routinely copy 25 to 40 WPM, and record-holders have exceeded 75 WPM, according to the American Radio Relay League.
Is Morse code still used today?
Yes. Although commercial maritime Morse operations ended in 1999 when GMDSS replaced it, Morse is still widely used by amateur radio operators worldwide, by military special operations, by aviation navigation beacons (VOR and NDB identifiers), and as an accessibility tool for people with severe motor disabilities who can control a single switch. The US FCC removed the Morse requirement for amateur radio licenses in 2007, but many operators learn it anyway.
What is the difference between dot-dash and dit-dah?
'Dot' and 'dash' are the written forms; 'dit' and 'dah' are the spoken forms used when teaching or practicing Morse by ear. A dot is spoken as 'dit' (sounding like 'dih' when followed by another element), and a dash is spoken as 'dah'. So the letter A, written '.−', is spoken as 'di-dah'. Teaching Morse by rhythm rather than appearance is known as the Koch or Farnsworth method and produces faster proficiency.
Who invented Morse code?
Morse code was co-developed by Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail between 1836 and 1844 to work with Morse's electric telegraph. Vail is credited with most of the code-table design, assigning shorter patterns to frequently used letters like E (a single dot) and T (a single dash) by counting the type trays at a local newspaper. Morse sent the first long-distance message 'What hath God wrought' from Washington to Baltimore on May 24, 1844, a date marked in US Library of Congress archives.