Morse Code Translator

Translate now

Type text or paste Morse. The result updates as you type.

Runs in your browser

Try:

Text11 / 5,000

Morse code10 chars · 7.4 s

.... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..

Everything converted.

Signal settings

Character speed18 WPM

Sets the length of every dot and dash.

Farnsworth speedOff

Lower it to stretch gaps between letters and words only.

Tone650 Hz

Volume60%

Signal timeline

dot · 1 unit dash · 3 unitsletter gap · 3 · word gap · 7

HELLOWORLD

Signal input

Tap to build Morse

Tap dots and dashes, add a letter gap after each letter and a word gap between words. With the pad focused you can also use the keys . - Space / and Backspace.

—

Your sequence appears here.

Quick signals

Hear a common signal

Loads the message into the translator and plays it.

SOS is a recognised distress signal, but Morse Orbit is an educational tool. It is not an emergency communication device — in an emergency, contact your local emergency number.

Light signal

Flash SOS on your screen

Turns the whole screen into a signal lamp, with optional vibration. Starts only after a photosensitivity warning, and stops with one tap.

About SOS

Toolkit

More ways to work with Morse

Morse Orbit brings translating, decoding, sound, light signals and learning together in one place. Everything runs in your browser with no account, and every tool uses International Morse as defined in ITU-R M.1677-1.

Translate

Text to Morse runs in the translator above. For Morse you've been given, use the dedicated reader.

Morse code to textPaste dots and dashes: a space splits letters, a slash splits words. Unknown groups are flagged, not guessed.

Decode a signal

Turn something you hear or see back into text.

Decode audio & images ExperimentalTap a key, upload a recording or read printed dots and dashes. Works best with steady speed and clean gaps.

Hear, time and download

Shape how a message sounds and keep a copy.

Signal SOS

See and hear the distress signal the way it is actually sent.

SOS in Morse codePlay SOS as one continuous signal or flash it on screen, and learn where it came from. Educational only, not an emergency device.

Learn and practise

Go from recognising letters to copying at real speed.

How Morse code works

Morse code represents each letter, digit and punctuation mark as a short sequence of dots and dashes. A dot is the basic time unit; a dash lasts three units. Silence matters just as much: one unit separates the parts of a letter, three units separate letters and seven units separate words.

This translator uses International Morse code as defined by the International Telecommunication Union in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1. It is not the same as American (railroad) Morse, which uses different codes and internal spaces.

Writing Morse as text

Dots as . and dashes as - (• · – — are accepted too).
One space between letters.
/ between words — a |, a new line or three spaces also work.

For example, HELLO WORLD becomes .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -...

Read the full timing guide or browse the complete alphabet.

Timing at a glance

International Morse timing in units
Element	Length
Dot	1 unit
Dash	3 units
Gap inside a letter	1 unit
Gap between letters	3 units
Gap between words	7 units

At 20 WPM, one unit is 60 ms (1.2 ÷ WPM seconds).

Worked examples

Encode and decode Morse by hand

The translator does this instantly, but working one through yourself shows exactly how the code and its timing fit together.

Example 1 · Encoding

Turn HI MOM into Morse

Look up each letter, put one space between letters and a slash between words. Then count its length in units.

Each letter of HI MOM, its Morse code and its length in units
Letter	Code	Units
H	....	7
I	..	3
M	--	7
O	---	11
M	--	7

Result: .... .. / -- --- --

The letters take 35 units. Add 3 letter gaps of 3 units and 1 word gap of 7: 51 units. At 20 WPM one unit is 60 ms, so the message takes 3.06 seconds to send.

Example 2 · Decoding

Read -- --- .-. ... . back as text

Split the signal at each space, look up every group, then join the letters. A slash would start a new word.

Each Morse group and the letter it stands for
Group	Letter
--	M
---	O
.-.	R
...	S
.	E

Result: MORSE

Keep the Morse code alphabet open while you practise.

Example 3 · Spacing

Why the gaps matter

The same dots and dashes become different letters depending only on where the gaps fall.

The same elements with and without letter gaps
Written	Reads as
...	S
. . .	EEE
.-	A
. -	ET

By ear, the only clue is silence: 1 unit inside a letter, 3 between letters. SOS is sent as one continuous ...---... with no letter gaps, so it is a single signal rather than the letters S, O and S. How SOS is sent

Frequently asked questions

How do I translate text into Morse code?

Choose Text → Morse, type your message and the Morse appears instantly. Letters are separated by a space and words by a slash (/). Press Play to hear it or Download WAV to save the audio.

How do I translate Morse code into text?

Choose Morse → Text and enter dots and dashes. Put a space between letters and a slash, a vertical bar or a new line between words. Symbols such as •, ·, – and — are accepted and converted automatically.

Which characters are supported?

The letters A–Z, É, the digits 0–9 and the punctuation defined in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1: . , : ? ' - / ( ) " = + @. Anything else is listed as not converted rather than silently dropped.

What does WPM mean?

Words per minute, measured with the standard word PARIS (50 timing units). At 20 WPM one unit — the length of a dot — is 60 milliseconds.

What is Farnsworth timing?

A learning technique that keeps each character at a faster speed while lengthening the gaps between characters and words, so you learn the sound of a letter instead of counting dots.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. Translation, audio and WAV files are produced in your browser. A share link contains the message itself, so only create one if you are happy for anyone with the link to read it.

New to Morse? Start with these short, sourced explainers.

All Morse code guides