Morse code translator

How to translate Morse code

1. Type or paste plain text, or type Morse using dots and dashes.
2. Leave a space between letters and use a / between words when typing Morse.
3. Pick a speed in words per minute and press play to hear it, turning on the light if you want to see it flash in time.
4. Copy the translation when you are happy with it.

Morse timing rules

Morse is built from one basic unit of time. Everything else is a multiple of it, which is why it still reads correctly whether it is sent quickly or slowly:

• A dot lasts 1 unit
• A dash lasts 3 units
• The gap between dots and dashes inside a letter is 1 unit
• The gap between letters is 3 units
• The gap between words is 7 units

Speed is measured in words per minute using the standard word PARIS, which takes exactly 50 units including the gap after it. At 20 words per minute a dot lasts 60 milliseconds. Beginners usually learn at a slow overall speed with longer gaps, then shorten the gaps as they improve.

The letters worth learning first

The most common letters in English were given the shortest codes, so a handful of them covers a lot of everyday text:

• E . and T -
• A .- and N -.
• I .. and M --
• S ... and O ---
• R .-. and D -..

SOS is ... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots). In practice it is sent as one continuous signal without the usual gaps between letters, which is why it is easy to recognise. It was chosen because the pattern is simple to send and hard to mistake, not because the letters stand for anything.

What this translator handles

It uses International Morse code, which covers the letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9 and common punctuation such as full stops, commas, question marks and the @ sign. Morse has no capital letters, so text comes back in one case. Characters with no Morse equivalent are skipped rather than guessed. The sound and the flashing light are generated on your device, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Questions people ask