Morse code
Morse Code Translator
Type a message to turn it into dots and dashes, or paste Morse to read it as text. Press play to hear it at the speed you choose.
Word separator in the Morse output
Morse code
The translation shows up here.
Listen
Reference
Morse code chart
International Morse for letters, digits and the punctuation marks people use most.
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| A | .- |
| B | -... |
| C | -.-. |
| D | -.. |
| E | . |
| F | ..-. |
| G | --. |
| H | .... |
| I | .. |
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| J | .--- |
| K | -.- |
| L | .-.. |
| M | -- |
| N | -. |
| O | --- |
| P | .--. |
| Q | --.- |
| R | .-. |
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| S | ... |
| T | - |
| U | ..- |
| V | ...- |
| W | .-- |
| X | -..- |
| Y | -.-- |
| Z | --.. |
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| 0 | ----- |
| 1 | .---- |
| 2 | ..--- |
| 3 | ...-- |
| 4 | ....- |
| 5 | ..... |
| 6 | -.... |
| 7 | --... |
| 8 | ---.. |
| 9 | ----. |
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| . | .-.-.- |
| , | --..-- |
| ? | ..--.. |
| ' | .----. |
| ! | -.-.-- |
| / | -..-. |
| ( | -.--. |
| ) | -.--.- |
| & | .-... |
| Character | Morse code |
|---|---|
| : | ---... |
| ; | -.-.-. |
| = | -...- |
| + | .-.-. |
| - | -....- |
| _ | ..--.- |
| " | .-..-. |
| $ | ...-..- |
| @ | .--.-. |
The timing
How Morse code works
Everything in Morse is a multiple of one short beat. A dot lasts one beat and a dash lasts three. Between the dots and dashes of one letter there is a gap of one beat. Between letters the gap is three beats, and between words it is seven.
Common letters get short codes. E is a single dot and T is a single dash, while rare letters like Q and Z need four symbols. That is why a message sounds like it has a rhythm once you know it.
Listening
Learning to hear it
Learn each letter by its sound, not by counting dots and dashes on paper. Play a short word, say the letters as you hear them, and then check the translation.
If it goes by too quickly, turn on Farnsworth spacing. The letters keep their fast, natural sound while the pauses between them give you time to think. Bring the overall speed up toward the letter speed as you improve.
Questions
Common questions
- How do I write SOS in Morse code?
- Three dots, three dashes, three dots: ... --- ... It is sent as one run with no gaps between the letters, which is why it is a signal and not three separate letters.
- How do I separate words in Morse code?
- Put a slash between words, or three spaces. Letters inside a word are separated by a single space. The translator reads either style when you paste Morse in, and writes whichever one you choose.
- How does the translator know which way to go?
- If what you type is only dots, dashes, slashes and spaces, it reads it as Morse and gives you text. Anything else is treated as text. You can override it with the Text to Morse and Morse to text buttons.
- What is Farnsworth spacing?
- Each letter is sent at a fast speed, say 20 words per minute, but the gaps between letters and words are stretched so the overall speed is slower. It lets you learn the sound of each letter at full speed without having to keep up with the pace.
- What does words per minute mean in Morse code?
- Speed is measured by how many times the word PARIS fits in a minute, spacing included. At 15 words per minute, a dot lasts 80 milliseconds and a dash 240.