About Morse Code Translator
This free Morse code translator turns text into dots and dashes and decodes Morse code back into text. It needs no sign-up and runs in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded.
Morse code writes each letter and digit as a short pattern of two signals, a short dot and a long dash. The tool uses International Morse code. Type a message and it appears as dots and dashes with a space between letters and a slash between words. Paste Morse code, and it is decoded back into text. If you paste Morse while the tool is set to text, it notices and offers to switch direction.
You can also listen to it. Once there is Morse code in the box, Play audio sounds it as a 600 hertz tone at a speed you set from 5 to 40 words per minute, using standard timing. Tick Flash light to blink an on-screen light in step with the sound, and Download WAV to save the audio as a file. A chart of every letter, number, punctuation mark and prosign is one click away.
Prosigns, the procedural signals such as SOS, are typed in angle brackets, for example <SOS>, <AR> or <SK>, and are sent as a single run with no gaps between the letters.
How to use Morse Code Translator
- Choose Text to Morse to translate text, or Morse to Text to decode Morse code.
- Type or paste your input. For text, normal words are fine. For Morse code, separate letters with a space and words with a slash.
- To use a prosign, type it in angle brackets in the text, such as <SOS>, <AR> or <SK>.
- Read the result in the output box and use Copy to take it.
- To hear it, set the Speed slider (5 to 40 WPM) and press Play audio. Tick Flash light to see the signal as well.
- Press Download WAV to save the audio, or Show Morse code chart to look up a character.
Features
- Translates text to Morse code and Morse code to text in the same tool.
- Letters, digits and 18 punctuation marks and symbols, in International Morse code.
- Prosigns written as <SOS>, <AR>, <SK>, <BT>, <KN>, <AS>, <CT> and <HH>.
- Audio playback of a 600 hertz tone with a speed slider from 5 to 40 words per minute.
- Standard timing: a dash is three dots, letters are three units apart and words seven.
- Flashing light that blinks on the page in time with the sound.
- WAV download of the audio, as 16-bit mono at 8 kHz.
- Forgiving decoder: it accepts dots written as . or a middle dot and dashes written as - or a long dash, and words split by /, | or three spaces.
- Automatic hint when you paste Morse code into the text direction.
- A chart of the full alphabet, numbers, punctuation and prosigns.
Worked examples
SOS gives ... --- ...
Three dots, three dashes, three dots. SOS is not an abbreviation. Typed as <SOS> it is sent as one run: ...---...
Hello World gives .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
Letters are separated by a space and the two words by a slash.
HELP ME gives .... . .-.. .--. / -- .
Meet at 9. OK? gives -- . . - / .- - / ----. .-.-.- / --- -.- ..--..
Numbers and punctuation have their own codes. The full stop is .-.-.- and the question mark is ..--..
CQ CQ <AR> gives -.-. --.- / -.-. --.- / .-.-.
CQ is a general call and AR means end of message.
.... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.., decoded gives hello world
Decoded text comes out in lowercase.
Morse code letters
| Letter | Code | Letter | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | --.. |
Morse code numbers
| Number | Code | Number | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ----- | 1 | .---- |
| 2 | ..--- | 3 | ...-- |
| 4 | ....- | 5 | ..... |
| 6 | -.... | 7 | --... |
| 8 | ---.. | 9 | ----. |
Morse code punctuation
| Symbol | Code | Symbol | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| . | .-.-.- | , | --..-- |
| ? | ..--.. | ' | .----. |
| ! | -.-.-- | / | -..-. |
| ( | -.--. | ) | -.--.- |
| & | .-... | : | ---... |
| ; | -.-.-. | = | -...- |
| + | .-.-. | - | -....- |
| _ | ..--.- | " | .-..-. |
| $ | ...-..- | @ | .--.-. |
Prosigns
| Prosign | Meaning | Code |
|---|---|---|
| <SOS> | Distress call | ...---... |
| <AR> | End of message | .-.-. |
| <SK> | End of contact | ...-.- |
| <BT> | Break, new paragraph | -...- |
| <KN> | Go ahead, named station only | -.--. |
| <AS> | Wait | .-... |
| <CT> | Start of transmission | -.-.- |
| <HH> | Error, correction follows | ........ |
Good to know
How Morse timing works
Everything in Morse code is measured in one unit, the length of a dot. A dash is three units. The gap between the dots and dashes of one letter is one unit, the gap between letters is three units and the gap between words is seven. The speed in words per minute is based on the word PARIS, which takes 50 units, so one unit lasts 1200 divided by the speed in milliseconds. At 20 words per minute a unit is 60 ms, and at 15 words per minute it is 80 ms.
At those settings, SOS at 20 words per minute lasts 1.62 seconds. Slow speeds are best for learning. Many learners practise at 15 to 20 words per minute with extra space between characters, so each letter is still heard at full speed.
What the translator can and cannot do
It covers the Latin letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9, and the punctuation and symbols in the chart. A character with no Morse code in the table, for example an accented letter, an emoji or a letter from another script, is skipped when translating, so check the output for gaps. Capital letters are the same as lower case.
When decoding, a group of dots and dashes that is not in the table is dropped, and the rest of the message still decodes. The decoded text is shown in lowercase. A few prosigns share a code with a symbol, so <AR> sent as .-.-. decodes to a plus sign, <BT> to an equals sign, <KN> to an opening bracket and <AS> to an ampersand. The prosigns <SOS>, <SK>, <CT> and <HH> decode back to their names.
Why SOS is dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot
SOS became the international distress signal in the early 1900s because the pattern is easy to remember and hard to mistake. It is sent as one continuous run of nine signals without letter gaps, written <SOS> in this tool. The letters do not stand for anything, and "save our souls" came later as a saying.
Privacy: how it works
- The text, the Morse code and the audio are all produced by code in your browser tab. Nothing is sent to Ulkaa or to any other server, which you can confirm in the Network tab of your browser developer tools.
- The WAV file is made on your device and saved straight to your downloads.
Tips
- To practise reading, translate a short phrase, press Play audio at 15 WPM with the box hidden, and try to write what you heard before looking.
- Use Flash light and a dark room to try signalling with a lamp, a torch or a mirror. The on-screen light blinks at the same rhythm as the sound.
- If decoding gives odd results, check the spacing. One space between letters and a slash with spaces around it between words works best.
- Pasting Morse from a web page often brings in long dashes or middle dots. The decoder accepts them, so you do not have to clean them first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no price, no trial and no credit card. Ulkaa Tool does the work with your own device, so there is no server bill to pass on to you.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Open the page and use it. An Ulkaa account is not needed for anything on this tool.
Does it run in my browser?
Yes. Your text are processed by code running in your browser tab, on your own device.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your text are never sent to Ulkaa or to anyone else. You can check this yourself by watching the Network tab in your browser developer tools while you use the tool.
How do I write SOS in Morse code?
SOS is three dots, three dashes and three dots: ... --- ... Typed as <SOS> in this tool, it is sent as one run with no gaps between the letters.
How do I translate Morse code to text?
Choose Morse to Text and paste the code. Separate letters with a space and words with a slash. The tool decodes it to lowercase text.
How do I separate words in Morse code?
Use a slash between words, with a space on each side. The decoder also accepts a vertical bar, or three or more spaces.
Can it play Morse code as sound?
Yes. Press Play audio to hear a 600 hertz tone, with the speed set from 5 to 40 words per minute. Download WAV saves the same audio as a file. Tick Flash light to blink a light in time with it.
What are prosigns?
Prosigns are procedural signals made of two letters sent together with no gap, such as AR for end of message and SK for end of contact. Type them in angle brackets, like <AR>.
Which characters does it support?
The letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9, and the punctuation and symbols shown in the chart. Characters without a Morse code in the chart, such as accented letters and emoji, are skipped.
What speed is the audio?
You set it with the slider, from 5 to 40 words per minute, and it starts at 15. Timing follows the standard in which one word PARIS takes 50 units.
Why is the decoded text in lowercase?
Morse code has no letter case, so the decoder writes lowercase. Change the case in a text editor if you need capitals.
Popular Morse Code Translator pages
- Text to Morse Code TranslatorType a message and see it as dots and dashes straight away.
- Morse Code to Text TranslatorPaste dots and dashes and read the message.
- English to Morse Code TranslatorTurn English words, numbers and punctuation into Morse code.
- Morse Code to English TranslatorDecode Morse code into English words.
- Morse Code DecoderPaste Morse code in almost any format and decode it.
- Morse Code Audio GeneratorHear your message as Morse code, blink it as light, and save it as a WAV file.
- Morse Code Alphabet ChartEvery letter, number, punctuation mark and prosign in Morse code.