What Morse code is
Morse code turns every letter into a short pattern of dots and dashes. It was built for the telegraph in the 1840s and is still used today in aviation beacons, amateur radio and as a last-resort way to signal with a torch, a whistle or a tap on a pipe.
How the timing works
- A dash is three times the length of a dot
- One dot of silence between the parts of a letter
- Three dots of silence between letters — written as a space
- Seven dots of silence between words — written as
/
The letters
- A
.-B-...C-.-.D-..E.F..-.G--.H....I.. - J
.---K-.-L.-..M--N-.O---P.--.Q--.-R.-. - S
...T-U..-V...-W.--X-..-Y-.--Z--.. - 1
.----… 9----.0-----· SOS is... --- ...
How to use the translator
- Choose a direction — text to Morse, or Morse back to text.
- Type or paste your message. Separate letters with a space and words with
/when decoding. - Press play to hear it. The speed is in words per minute, the standard way Morse speed is measured.
Learning it
- Learn by sound, not by looking at dots on a page. Most people who learn visually get stuck at about five words a minute.
- Start at 15–20 words a minute with long gaps between letters. The rhythm of each letter is what sticks.
- E, T, A, I, N and M are the shortest letters and the most common — they are the ones to learn first.
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
Three dots, three dashes, three dots — ... --- ... — sent as one continuous signal with no gaps between the letters. It was chosen because the pattern is easy to recognise, not as an abbreviation.
How do I write a space between words in Morse?
Use a forward slash, or three or more spaces. This translator accepts either when decoding and writes "/" when encoding.
What does words per minute mean in Morse?
It is measured against the word "PARIS", which is exactly 50 dot-lengths. At 15 words per minute, one dot lasts 0.08 seconds.