How to use the Morse code translator
- Pick the Direction: Text to Morse or Morse to Text. Switching moves the current result into the input box, so a message makes the round trip.
- Type or paste into Text to translate, or into Morse code to decode. For decoding, use dots and hyphens, one space between letters, and a slash or two or more spaces between words. Line breaks are kept.
- Read the result under Morse code or Translated text and press Copy result. Notes under it list anything that could not be translated.
- Set Speed (WPM, 5 to 40) and press Play audio to hear the Morse. Stop ends playback.
- Open Morse code chart for every sign the tool knows.
How the translation and timing work
Codes follow ITU-R M.1677-1, International Morse code: the letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9, accented E, and the punctuation . , : ? ' - / ( ) " = + @. A few signs people expect, namely ! & ; _ and $, are not on the ITU list but are in common use, so the tool includes them and the chart marks them as extras. Morse has no lower case, so decoded text is upper case.
The ITU timing is measured in dots: a dash is 3 dots, the gap inside a letter is 1, between letters 3 and between words 7. Speed uses the PARIS standard, where the word PARIS takes 50 dots, so one dot lasts 1200 divided by WPM milliseconds (Morse code). At 15 WPM a dot is 80 ms and a dash 240 ms.
Worked example
The tool opens with SOS Hello on Text to Morse and shows:
... --- ... / .... . .-.. .-.. ---
S is three dots, O is three dashes, S is three dots, the slash marks the word break, then H, E, L, L, O. At 15 WPM the line under the speed box reads "At 15 WPM a dot lasts 80 ms and a dash 240 ms. This message plays for about 6.6 seconds." That is 83 dots: 27 for SOS, 7 for the gap and 49 for HELLO, times 80 ms. Choose Morse to Text and the same code decodes to SOS HELLO.
Limits and edge cases
Characters with no code, such as # % or an emoji, are skipped and named in a note. Γ, Γ, Γ, Γ, Γ, Γ and Γ use the common extension codes, while other accents fall back to the plain letter, so Γͺ is sent as E and the note says so. When decoding, a group that is not a known code becomes ? and is listed. Prosigns sent as one run, such as SK, KA, VE and SOS, decode as <SK> and similar. Audio plays at most the first 400 letters, with standard spacing. For other encodings, try the Binary to Text Converter, the Caesar Cipher or the ROT13 Cipher.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type Morse code for decoding?
Use a dot (.) and a hyphen (-). Put one space between letters and a slash or two or more spaces between words.
How fast is 15 WPM?
At 15 words per minute one dot lasts 80 ms (1200 divided by 15) and a dash lasts 240 ms.
What does SOS look like in Morse code?
Three dots, three dashes, three dots (... --- ...). It is sent as one unbroken run, and the letters do not stand for any words.
Is Morse code still used?
Yes. The ITU notes it is still used in amateur radio services, and aviation navigation beacons still identify themselves in Morse.
Which characters can the translator handle?
Letters A to Z, digits 0 to 9, the ITU punctuation, a few extra signs such as ! and &, and common accented letters. Anything without a code is skipped and listed under the result.
Sources: ITU-R M.1677-1 (2009), International Morse code; Wikipedia, Morse code. The tool runs in your browser and your text is not uploaded.