This Morse code translator converts text to Morse code and decodes Morse back to text — dots, dashes, and the SOS that everyone knows: ··· −−− ···
Timing Is the Real Alphabet: 1-3-7
Morse is timed sound: a dash equals three dots, letters rest for three units, words for seven. On paper, spaces between letters and “/” between words carry that timing. Its digital descendant lives on our Text to Binary Converter. Part of our Other Calculators collection.
Worked Examples (Verified Against the ITU Chart)
- SOS → ··· −−− ··· — chosen in 1906 precisely because the pattern is unmistakable
- HELLO → ···· · ·−·· ·−·· −−−
- Frequency engineering: common letters got short codes (E = ·, T = −) a century before Huffman coding formalized the idea — Morse is compression with a human decoder
- Numbers are five-element patterns (1 = ·−−−− … 0 = −−−−−) — longer because digits were rarer traffic
The Essentials Chart
- Vowels: A ·−, E ·, I ··, O −−−, U ··−
- Emergency and procedural signs extend the alphabet: ·−·−·− is a period; −···− is “=”/BT break.
- American Morse (the original landline code) differs from International Morse — this translator uses the International (ITU) standard used by radio worldwide.
- Speed is measured in WPM against the word PARIS (exactly 50 timing units) — a neat built-in calibration.
Related Tools
- Text to Binary Converter — text as 8-bit binary
- Base64 Converter — the web’s transport encoding
- Other Calculators — the full collection
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I translate text to Morse code?
Replace each letter with its dot-dash pattern, separate letters with spaces and words with “ / ”. SOS becomes ··· −−− ···; HELLO becomes ···· · ·−·· ·−·· −−−. This translator applies the full international chart, including digits and common punctuation.
What is SOS in Morse code?
··· −−− ··· — three dots, three dashes, three dots, sent as one continuous signal. Adopted internationally in 1906 for its unmistakable rhythm; the “Save Our Souls” reading is a later backronym.
How do I decode Morse code?
Split on letter spaces, match each group against the chart, and treat “/” as a word space — the reverse mode here does it instantly. By ear, timing carries the structure: gaps of 3 units end letters, 7 end words.
Is Morse code still used?
Yes, in niches: amateur radio, aviation navigation beacons (identifiers in Morse), assistive signaling, and military/aviation heritage training. It survives because it works through noise that defeats voice — the lowest-bandwidth reliable channel ever standardized.
Who invented Morse code?
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed it in the 1830s–40s for the electric telegraph; the modern International Morse (Gerke’s revision) dates to 1848 and was standardized by the ITU. Letter frequencies from printer’s type cases shaped the short codes for common letters.
Is this Morse code translator free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.