About the Morse Code Translator
Tezmy's Morse Code Translator turns text into International Morse code and decodes Morse code back into text. Just type or paste: the tool sees whether you gave it letters or dots and dashes, and translates the other way automatically. You can also play the code as beeps at 10, 15, 20 or 25 words per minute, which is useful for learning to copy Morse by ear. It all runs in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Morse Code Translator
- 1Type text, or paste Morse code, into the left box.
- 2The translation appears on the right. The tool detects which way to translate.
- 3Press Play sound to hear the Morse code, and pick a speed.
- 4Copy the result, or press Swap to translate it back.
The Morse code alphabet
Every letter and digit has its own pattern of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes). The most common letters in English got the shortest codes: E is a single dot and T a single dash. Digits always use five signals, from .---- for 1 to ----- for 0.
- 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 --..
Writing and pasting Morse code
The decoder is forgiving, so code copied from books, puzzles and websites usually works as it is:
- Dots can be . or • or ·, and dashes can be - or — or – or _.
- Letters are separated by a space.
- Words are separated by /, | or three or more spaces.
- Unknown patterns are shown as ? and counted in a message under the boxes.
Learning Morse code by ear
Radio operators learn Morse as sounds, not as pictures of dots and dashes. Type a few letters, press Play sound and try to recognise the rhythm: “dah-di-dah-dit” for C rather than “dash dot dash dot”. Start at 10 or 15 words per minute and speed up once letters feel automatic.
A good routine is ten minutes a day: learn two or three new letters, then play short words that use only letters you know.
Morse code and other codes
Morse code is made for people to send by sound, light or tapping. Computers store text differently, as bytes of 0s and 1s. If you want to see text as computer code, the Binary Translator shows each letter as 8 binary digits.
On your phone or computer
The translator and the sound work in any modern browser. On a phone the translation appears below the box you type in. If the sound is silent on an iPhone, turn off silent mode with the switch on the side and try again. To hear a message read out loud, use Text to Speech, and use the Number Base Converter if your code uses binary numbers.
Features
- Text to Morse and Morse to text
- Detects the direction automatically
- Letters, numbers and common punctuation
- Plays the code as sound at 10–25 words per minute
- Accepts / or | between words, and • or — symbols
- Marks codes it can't read with “?”
- Runs in your browser, nothing uploaded
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is ... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots). In real distress calls it is sent as one continuous signal without the usual gaps between letters, which is why it is easy to recognise.
How do I write spaces between words in Morse code?
Put one space between letters and a slash between words, like .... .. / - .... . .-. . for “HI THERE”. When decoding, the tool also accepts a vertical bar (|) or three or more spaces as a word break.
How do I decode Morse code?
Paste the dots and dashes into the box. The tool recognises Morse code automatically and shows the text on the right. Any code it doesn't know is shown as a question mark, so you can see where a letter may be wrong.
Which characters can be translated?
The 26 letters A–Z, the digits 0–9 and common punctuation: . , ? ' ! / ( ) & : ; = + - _ " $ @. Accented letters are sent as their plain letter (é becomes E). Other characters, like emoji, have no Morse code and are left out.
What does words per minute (WPM) mean in Morse code?
It's the sending speed, measured with the standard word “PARIS”. At 15 WPM one dot lasts 80 milliseconds. Beginners often learn at 10 to 15 WPM, and experienced radio operators send at 20 to 30 WPM or faster.
How are dots, dashes and gaps timed?
A dash is three times as long as a dot. Within a letter the gap is one dot long, between letters it is three dots, and between words seven dots. The Play sound button follows these standard timings.
Is Morse code still used today?
Yes. Amateur radio operators use it every day, aircraft navigation beacons identify themselves in Morse, and it is still taught for emergencies, because a flashlight, a whistle or tapping is enough to send it.
Why can't I hear any sound?
Check that your phone isn't on silent mode and that the volume is up. On iPhones, the ring/silent switch can mute sound from websites. The sound is made in your browser, so no internet connection is needed once the page has loaded.