Morse Code Translator - Text to Morse and Back

History of Morse code

Morse code was developed in the 1830s and 1840s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail for use with the electrical telegraph. It encodes text characters as sequences of two signal durations, dots (short) and dashes (long), separated by pauses. International Morse Code (ITU) standardized the alphabet for global use, and it remains in use today for amateur radio communication.

How to read Morse code

Each letter is represented by a unique combination of dots and dashes. A dot is one unit long; a dash is three units long. The gap between letters in a word is three units; the gap between words is seven units (represented here by /).

Common Morse abbreviations

• SOS: ... --- ...: Universal distress signal
• CQ: -.-. --.-: General call (radio: "Is anyone there?")
• 73: --... ...--: Best regards (amateur radio sign-off)
• 88: ---.. ----..: Love and kisses (radio farewell)

Full Morse code alphabet

Audio playback timing

When Morse code is transmitted as sound (as in amateur radio), timing is measured in units:

• Dot = 1 unit
• Dash = 3 units
• Gap between elements within a letter = 1 unit
• Gap between letters = 3 units
• Gap between words = 7 units

At 20 WPM (words per minute), one unit is approximately 60 ms. The standard "word" used to measure speed is "PARIS" (50 units long).

Learning Morse code

• Koch method: learn two characters at full speed first; add one new character only after 90% accuracy on the current set. Builds speed before expanding the alphabet.
• Farnsworth method: individual characters are sent at full speed (e.g., 20 WPM) but with extended gaps between letters and words (effective 5–10 WPM). Prevents the habit of counting dots and dashes.
• Spaced repetition: review characters you miss most frequently; use an app that schedules reviews at increasing intervals.