🎮 How to Use
- Type text in the top box - it converts to Morse below.
- Or type Morse (using . - and spaces) - it converts to text.
- Click ▶ Play sound to hear the dits and dahs at adjustable speed.
About this tool
Morse code: developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse for telegraphy. SOS (...---...) became the international distress signal in 1908. Skilled operators send 30+ WPM. Letters use dots (·) and dashes (-); spaces between letters are 3 units, between words 7 units.
About Morse code
Morse code encodes the letters, numbers, and punctuation of written language as sequences of short and long signals, the dot (dit) and dash (dah). Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed it in the 1830s and 1840s for the electric telegraph, and a refined version known as International Morse Code was standardised in 1865. For more than a century it was the backbone of long-distance communication, from transatlantic cables to maritime radio.
The most famous sequence is SOS, written ...---..., adopted as the worldwide distress signal in 1908 because its rhythm is unmistakable and easy to send under stress. Although voice and digital radio have replaced Morse for most commercial use, amateur radio operators, aviation beacons, and accessibility devices still rely on it. This translator converts text to code and back, and plays the result as audio so you can train your ear.
How it works: the timing rules
Morse is built from a single base unit of time. Every other duration is a fixed multiple of that unit, which keeps the rhythm consistent at any speed.
Dot (dit) = 1 unit of sound Dash (dah) = 3 units of sound Gap within a letter = 1 unit of silence Gap between letters = 3 units of silence Gap between words = 7 units of silence Speed in WPM uses the word PARIS (50 units) as the standard: unit length (seconds) = 1.2 / WPM At 20 WPM: 1.2 / 20 = 0.06 s per unit
Because PARIS plus its trailing space totals exactly 50 units, dividing 60 seconds by (50 x WPM) gives the 1.2/WPM shortcut used to set the audio tempo on this page.
Worked example: encoding SOS
Take the distress call SOS and translate it letter by letter, then work out how long it takes to send at 20 words per minute.
- S = three dots (...), O = three dashes (---), S = three dots (...).
- Full pattern: ... --- ... with a 3-unit gap between each letter.
- Unit length at 20 WPM: 1.2 / 20 = 0.06 seconds.
- Sound units: six dots (6 units) plus three dashes (9 units) = 15 units of tone.
- Silence units: within letters and the two 3-unit letter gaps add roughly 10 units.
Morse code reference chart
A selection of common letters and digits in International Morse Code.
| Character | Morse | Character | Morse |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- | S | ... |
| E | . | T | - |
| O | --- | N | -. |
| R | .-. | K | -.- |
| 1 | .---- | 5 | ..... |
| 0 | ----- | SOS | ...---... |
Common pitfalls
- Counting characters instead of patterns. E is a single dot while 0 is five dashes, so message length in Morse depends on which letters you use, not the character count.
- Mixing letter and word gaps. A 3-unit gap separates letters and a 7-unit gap separates words. Run them together and "SOS HELP" can be misread as one long string.
- Learning the alphabet alphabetically. Operators learn by sound and frequency (E, T, A, N first), not A to Z, because the rhythm matters more than the spelling order.
- Sending too fast too soon. Pushing the WPM slider high before you can decode reliably builds bad timing habits. Start near 10 to 15 WPM.
- Confusing similar patterns. S (...) and H (....), or U (..-) and V (...-), differ by a single element, so a dropped dot changes the letter entirely.
- Forgetting prosigns are joined. SOS is sent as one run with no internal letter gaps, which is why it is written ...---... rather than ... --- ...
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots, sent as one continuous string: ...---... It was chosen in 1908 as the international distress signal because its rhythm is simple, symmetric, and hard to mistake for anything else, not because the letters stand for any phrase.
How fast can experienced operators send Morse?
Skilled amateur and military operators routinely send and read 20 to 30 words per minute, and contest specialists exceed 40 WPM. Beginners typically start around 5 to 13 WPM. This translator lets you set any speed from 5 to 40 WPM with the slider so you can train at a comfortable pace.
What is the difference between a dot and a dash?
A dot is one unit of sound and a dash is three units of sound. The gap inside a single letter is one unit, the gap between letters is three units, and the gap between words is seven units. Keeping these ratios fixed is what makes Morse readable at any speed.
Why does the audio not play on my phone?
Mobile browsers block sound until you interact with the page. Tapping the Play sound button counts as that interaction and unlocks audio, so the first tap may be silent while the audio context resumes. Tap Play again and the dits and dahs should sound normally.
Does this translator handle numbers and spaces?
Yes. It encodes the 26 letters and the digits 0 through 9, and it represents the space between words as a forward slash in the Morse box. Punctuation outside that set is skipped, so stick to letters, numbers, and spaces for a clean round trip.