Convert text to Morse or Morse back to text — with real audio playback, a blinking light, vibration, downloadable audio, adjustable speed & Farnsworth spacing, and a shareable secret-message link.
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Share the message above as a Morse code puzzle — your friend hears it play and tries to decode it. The current sound and speed settings are included in the link.
✓ Verified against the ITU-R M.1677-1 international Morse code standard — the same specification used in amateur radio and aviation. See our accuracy methodology. Built and maintained by Waleed Akram, MSc Computer Sciences (Telecom & Signal Processing). About this project →
Under the hood, translation is a lookup table plus a scheduler — no network calls, no servers, no tracking. Everything runs in your browser.
Everything you need to encode, decode, hear and share Morse code — built into one free tool.
Morse code is a communication system that represents letters, numbers, and symbols as sequences of two signals — a short dot and a long dash. By arranging these two signals in different combinations, every character in written language can be encoded and transmitted.
The system is elegant in its simplicity: only two states — on and off — are needed to carry any message. Each letter has its own unique pattern, and no two letters share the same combination, which is what makes the code unambiguous.
Morse code is about rhythm, not symbols. Experienced operators hear it, feel it, or see flashes of light — and recognize patterns the way a musician recognizes a melody.
New to this? Our step-by-step learning guide walks through memorizing the full Morse code alphabet from scratch.
Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail develop Morse code for the electric telegraph.
"What hath God wrought" — sent from Washington D.C. to Baltimore. The beginning of the digital age.
The Paris telegraph conference adopts the cleaner International Morse Code, replacing American Morse for global use.
· · · − − − · · · chosen as the universal distress signal for its unmistakable simplicity.
Morse becomes the primary military communication method through both World Wars.
Amateur radio, aviation beacons, accessibility devices, iOS Morse keyboards — Morse is still working.
The complete International Morse Code (ITU standard). Click any character to hear it played through the translator above.
Every letter can be reached by walking a binary tree — go left on a dot, right on a dash. It's how many operators memorize the code as kids.
Start at the root. Go left for a dot (·), right for a dash (−). This visual map lets you decode any Morse character in seconds without memorizing the full alphabet. Click any letter to hear it played.
· = dot (left branch) − = dash (right branch)
Reading a letter: start at the top, follow dots left and dashes right. · − · = start → E → A → R.
The everyday words people look up most — click any card to hear it played, or drop it straight into the translator above. See the full guides for SOS in Morse code and "I love you" in Morse code.
SOS isn't an abbreviation for "Save Our Souls" — that story came later. It was picked in 1906 and formalized in 1908 because three dots, three dashes, three dots is instantly recognizable, even through heavy static or partial reception.
Timing is the foundation of Morse. Every element is a multiple of one base unit — the unit itself has no fixed length, but the proportions must never change. The translator above lets you tune this with the Speed and Farnsworth sliders. For WPM conversion tables and Farnsworth spacing formulas, see our complete Morse code timing guide.
Notice how letter gaps (3 units) are visibly wider than the gaps inside a letter (1 unit), and dashes are exactly 3× the width of dots.
"Morse code" is really a family of codes. Different regions, eras and scripts produced their own dialects — all built on the same dot-and-dash foundation.
The modern global standard — 26 Latin letters, 10 digits, punctuation and prosigns. Used everywhere from ham radio to aviation beacons.
The original code used on U.S. landline telegraphs. Variable-length dashes and internal spaces — faster on wires, harder on radio. Largely obsolete.
Gerke's 1848 revision for German telegraphs. Cleaned up ambiguities and became the direct ancestor of International Morse.
Maps Japanese kana (not letters) to dot-dash sequences. Still used by Japanese amateur radio operators today.
Encodes Hangul jamo (consonants and vowels) so Korean can be sent over the same two-symbol channel.
28-letter mapping developed for Arabic-language telegraphy, used across the Middle East and North Africa.
International Morse covers the Latin alphabet, but many languages extend it with characters for local scripts.
International Morse adds mappings for accented Latin characters used in European languages — indispensable for names, place names and legal text.
However you found Morse code, there's a path here for you.
Practice CW timing and prosigns at real ITU spacing before you're on the air. Try CW Academy.
Turn history and STEM lessons interactive — decode SOS, prosigns, and the alphabet by ear or by light.
Build and share a Morse puzzle with the secret-message link above, or crack one a friend sent you.
Learn to send and recognize SOS with a flashlight or a whistle when there's no signal.
Practice single-switch, blink, or tap-based Morse input — the same system behind iOS's built-in Morse keyboard.
Generate accurate, ITU-timed clues with downloadable audio for props and puzzles.
SOS (· · · − − − · · ·) remains the world's most recognized distress signal — used at sea, in aviation, and in remote survival situations where no radio infrastructure exists.
Ham radio operators worldwide still use Continuous Wave Morse. The ITU officially recognizes CW, and it punches through weak signals where voice fails. Want to learn it properly? Try CW Academy.
People with severe physical disabilities communicate via single-switch, eye-blink, or sip-and-puff Morse input. Apple's iOS ships with a Morse keyboard.
VOR and NDB radio beacons transmit their station identifiers in Morse — pilots verify every navaid by ear before trusting it.
Nearly two centuries after its invention, Morse code keeps earning its place — precisely because it does more with less than anything that came after it.
Filmmakers love Morse — it's visual, audible, and instantly signals tension, secrecy or last-resort survival. A few standouts:
Survivors coordinate a global counter-attack using Morse when digital comms are jammed.
Cooper transmits quantum data to Murph as Morse ticks on a wristwatch's second hand.
Bletchley Park intercepts of German naval Morse drive the plot around cracking Enigma.
Wireless operators tap out CQD and then SOS as the ship goes down — historically accurate.
Coded Morse tapping is used in tense underground signalling scenes.
US Marines rely on Morse alongside Navajo code talking for secure Pacific-front comms.
Because dots and dashes can be rendered as any pair of shapes, Morse has become one of the most popular ways to hide a private message inside a piece of jewellery.
Round beads = dots, oblong beads = dashes. Spell a partner's name, a birth year, or a private mantra that only you can read.
A slim gold or silver bar engraved with a dot-and-dash pattern — 'love', 'brave', 'mama' are the most popular hidden words.
Wedding bands with a Morse phrase etched inside the band — a message worn against the skin, visible only to the wearer.
Alternating stone shapes or metal segments encode short words. Great for gifts because the meaning is personal, not obvious.
Morse code is a system of encoding text characters as sequences of dots (short signals, "dit") and dashes (long signals, "dah"). Developed by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail in the 1830s for electric telegraph communication, it was the world's first practical long-distance communication system. Each letter, number, and punctuation mark has a unique dot-dash pattern. The meaning of Morse code is simply: a language of signals. New to it? Start with our Morse code learning guide.
I love you in Morse code is: .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-
I = .., L = .-.., O = ---, V = ...-, E = ., Y = -.--, O = ---, U = ..-. The "/" separates words. Try the "I love you" example chip in the translator above to hear the audio version or see it blink in light. See more romantic phrases on our "I love you" in Morse code page.
SOS in Morse code is ...---... — three dots, three dashes, three dots. It is the universally recognized international distress signal. SOS was chosen because it is the simplest Morse pattern possible and the least likely to be misheard. It means "save our souls" or simply "help." Use the SOS example chip in the translator above to generate, play, and blink it instantly.
Help in Morse code is: .... . .-.. .--.
H = ...., E = ., L = .-.., P = .--.
For emergency situations, use the SOS signal (...---...) — the internationally recognized Morse code distress call. "Help me" in Morse code is: .... . .-.. .--. / -- .
Hi in Morse code is: .... .. — H is four dots (....) and I is two dots (..). "HI" is also used as a laugh in amateur ham radio because it sounds like "hee-hee." It is one of the easiest two-letter combinations in Morse code to learn and recognize.
Full Morse code alphabet A–Z: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=--..
See the interactive alphabet chart above to click any letter and hear its tone. This is the official International Morse Code (ITU) alphabet. See the full breakdown, mnemonics, and practice tips on our Morse code alphabet page.
Morse code numbers 0–9 (each uses exactly 5 symbols):0=----- 1=.---- 2=..--- 3=...-- 4=....- 5=..... 6=-.... 7=--... 8=---.. 9=----.
Numbers with more dots at the start are lower; more dashes means higher. Click any number in the reference chart above to hear it. Full details are on our Morse code numbers page.
Yes — Morse code is easier to learn than most people think. You can memorize letters like E (·), T (−), S (···), and O (−−−) within an hour. With regular audio practice and tapping, most people can read and send short Morse messages within days. Full conversational speed for amateur radio (10+ words per minute) takes about 2–6 months of consistent practice. Follow our step-by-step learning guide to get there faster.
To translate Morse code to English: switch to the Morse → Text tab above, then enter dots (.) and dashes (-) with a space between each letter and "/" between words. The decoder converts it instantly. Example: ... --- ... = SOS. You can also use the Morse binary tree — start at the root, go left for each dot and right for each dash, or look words up directly in our Morse code dictionary.
The fastest ways to decode Morse code: (1) Use the online decoder above — just type the dots and dashes. (2) Use the Morse binary tree visual on this page. (3) Practice listening to audio until you recognize patterns by ear without looking them up. The most recognized patterns to learn first: E(·), T(−), S(···), O(−−−), SOS(···−−−···). For real recordings or photos, try our audio decoder or image decoder.
To read blinking Morse code: a short flash = dot, a long flash = dash. Count each flash pattern for a letter, then match it to the alphabet. Short pause between flashes = same letter continues. Longer pause = new letter. Even longer pause = new word. Use the built-in Blink button in the translator above to practice reading visual Morse signals in real time.
Morse code was invented by Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail in the late 1830s, with the first public demonstration in 1838. The first official telegraph message using Morse code — "What hath God wrought" — was transmitted on May 24, 1844 from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland. Samuel Morse also invented the electric telegraph that made it possible. Read about the original code he designed on our American Morse code page.
Hello in Morse code is: .... . .-.. .-.. ---
H=...., E=., L=.-.., L=.-.., O=---. Try the "Hello" example chip in the translator above to hear the audio or watch it blink.
Good morning in Morse code is: --. --- --- -.. / -- --- .-. -. .. -. --.
G=--. O=--- O=--- D=-.. / M=-- O=--- R=.-. N=-. I=.. N=-. G=--.. Try the "Good morning" example chip above to generate and play it.
Three dots followed by a dash (...-) is the letter V in Morse code. During World War II, "V for Victory" was represented by this pattern — matching the opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (dit-dit-dit-DAH). Three dots alone (...) is the letter S. Three dashes (---) is the letter O.
Yes. Morse code is still actively used by: amateur (ham) radio operators worldwide for CW (Continuous Wave) radio communication; aviation navigation — VOR and NDB beacons transmit station identifiers in Morse; accessibility technology — people with severe physical disabilities communicate via eye blinks or single-switch Morse input; and in emergency survival situations where SOS signals can be sent via flashlight, mirror, or sound. Want to learn CW radio operating properly? Check out CW Academy.
This Morse code generator uses an accurate character-mapping engine that handles all letters A–Z, numbers 0–9, and punctuation accurately. The audio engine generates authentic dot and dash tones via the Web Audio API at correct ITU international timing: 1 unit = dot, 3 units = dash, 1 unit gap between signals within a letter, 3 units between letters, 7 units between words. Everything runs in your browser — no server, no downloads needed.
You can communicate in Morse code through: sound (tapping on a surface, a buzzer, or a telegraph key); light (flashlight blinks — short for dot, long for dash); radio (CW transmission on amateur bands); or touch (tapping on someone's hand or arm). The key rule: short = dot, long = dash. Pause between letters, longer pause between words.
Common misspellings and alternate spellings of Morse code include: moorse code, morsse code, morsee code, morse coede, moarse code, morce code, morse coad, morsecode, morris code, morese code, morst code, marse code, morse codw, morse coide, moprse code, morsse, morsem, codigo morse, código morse, clave morse, code morse, kode morse, morse cpde, moros code, mource code. All refer to the same dot-and-dash communication system invented by Samuel F. B. Morse.
Yes — use the image decoder for photos of flashing lights or handwritten dots and dashes, or the audio decoder for recorded beeps. Both run the same ITU-standard timing rules as the main translator above.
Yes. Every character mapping follows the ITU-R M.1677-1 international Morse code standard, the same specification used in amateur radio and aviation. See our accuracy methodology for how it's tested.