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.
✓ 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.
Type any English sentence and the engine instantly maps every letter, number and punctuation mark to its ITU dot-dash pattern.
Paste dots and dashes — separated by spaces for letters and "/" for words — and read the plain-English translation immediately.
Hear your message as authentic dot-dash tones (or a telegraph sounder click), timed to correct ITU spacing at your chosen speed.
Export any translation as a WAV audio file — perfect for practice drills, ringtones, or sharing a message someone has to decode.
Enter text or Morse code into the translator above.
Your input converts in real time as you type — no button to press.
Play, blink, vibrate or download the result to hear and practice it.
Everything you need to encode, decode, hear and share Morse code — built into one free tool.
The translator provides versatile operational modes to convert, synthesize, display, and share Morse messages across multiple sensory formats.
Converts English letters, numbers, and punctuation into ITU standard dots and dashes in real time as you type.
Translates raw Morse code back into legible plain English. Accepts dots, dashes, spaces between letters, and slashes between words.
Synthesizes clean, distortion-free Morse audio via Web Audio API. Supports customizable pitch, WPM speed, and Farnsworth spacing.
Simulates optical telegraphy or an emergency survival beacon by flashing a visual high-contrast light synchronized with ITU dot/dash timing.
Enables tactile Morse code transmission on mobile devices through the browser Vibration API, translating dits and dahs into physical pulses.
Encodes private messages into a shareable puzzle link. Recipients can hear the audio and reveal the decoded text character-by-character.
Morse code is a telecommunications method that encodes text as sequences of two distinct signal durations: short signals called dots (or dits) and long signals called dashes (or dahs). It was developed in the 1830s by Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail for use with the electric telegraph, creating the world's first practical digital communication system.
“What hath God wrought” — Samuel F. B. Morse's first official telegraph message, May 24, 1844
Today, the international standard is governed by ITU-R M.1677-1. Morse code can be transmitted through any medium that supports an on/off state — sound, light, radio waves, electrical pulses, or touch. New to the system? Begin with our Morse code learning guide or browse the full Morse code alphabet or grab the free printable chart.
Beeps, tones, or whistles
Flashes from lamp, flashlight, or laser
Telegraph wire or radio pulses
Tapping or vibration on any surface
From the first wire between Washington and Baltimore to radio beacons that still guide aircraft today.
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 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.
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.
Learn more →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.
Armed forces still train signals personnel in Morse for low-probability-of-intercept communication. A simple CW signal gets through when voice and digital modes cannot.
Voice and CW (Continuous Wave Morse) are the two internationally standardized radio communication modes.
A trained ear can copy Morse in conditions where voice is completely unreadable — that's why it survives on HF radio.
No servers, no cell towers, no batteries beyond a flashlight. Morse works when everything else fails.
For people with severe motor disabilities, a single button, blink, or breath is enough to type anything.
Find answers to the most common questions about using the Morse code translator, audio playback, WPM speeds, timing rules, and learning Morse code.
Words per minute (WPM) measures Morse code speed using the standard word “PARIS” as the benchmark — 50 dot-units long. Use this table to pick a comfortable speed for learning, practicing, or on-air contacts.
| WPM | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Beginner | Starting speed for new learners. Former FCC Novice requirement. |
| 10 | Slow | Comfortable copying speed for beginners learning by ear. |
| 13 | Intermediate | Former FCC General class requirement. Relaxed conversational pace. |
| 15 | Conversational | Comfortable ragchew speed for everyday on-air chats. |
| 18 | Proficient | Solid operator speed; typical for club nets and casual DX. |
| 20 | Advanced | Former FCC Extra requirement. Common contest and DX speed. |
| 25 | Fast | High-speed conversational; experienced operators only. |
| 30+ | Expert | Contest-grade speed. Used by high-speed telegraphy competitors. |
Tip: when learning, keep the character speed high (15–20 WPM) and add extra gaps between characters instead — this is called Farnsworth timing, and it trains your ear to recognise whole characters rather than counting dots and dashes.