Morse Code Translator - Text to Morse and Back

How to use this tool

Type or paste input. Enter plain text or Morse code in the input box. Direction is detected automatically.
Override direction if needed. Use the direction selector to force text-to-Morse or Morse-to-text.
Read the output. The translated result appears instantly in the output box.
Copy the result. Click Copy to copy the output to your clipboard.

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

Char	Morse	Char	Morse	Char	Morse
A	`.-`	J	`.---`	S	`...`
B	`-...`	K	`-.-`	T	`-`
C	`-.-.`	L	`.-..`	U	`..-`
D	`-..`	M	`--`	V	`...-`
E	`.`	N	`-.`	W	`.--`
F	`..-.`	O	`---`	X	`-..-`
G	`--.`	P	`.--.`	Y	`-.--`
H	`....`	Q	`--.-`	Z	`--..`
I	`..`	R	`.-.`
0	`-----`	1	`.----`	2	`..---`
3	`...--`	4	`....-`	5	`.....`
6	`-....`	7	`--...`	8	`---..`
9	`----.`	. (period)	`.-.-.-`	, (comma)	`--..--`
? (query)	`..--..`	/ (slash)	`-..-.`	- (dash)	`-....-`

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.

Frequently asked questions

What Morse code standard does this use?

This tool uses International Morse Code (ITU standard), which is the modern and globally recognized standard. It covers all 26 Latin letters, digits 0–9, and common punctuation marks.

How are words separated in Morse?

Letters within a word are separated by a single space. Words are separated by a forward slash (/). When typing Morse input, use " / " (slash with surrounding spaces) between words.

What does SOS look like in Morse code?

SOS is ... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots). It was chosen as the international distress signal specifically because it is easy to send and recognize.

Can I translate punctuation?

Yes. Common punctuation marks (period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, slash, parentheses, colon, etc.) are supported. Characters not in the ITU Morse alphabet are skipped and shown as ?.