02 / HOW TO USE IT
How to use the Morse code translator.
The translator works in both directions. Choose International Morse for the examples below. Changing direction starts a fresh message; Swap contents moves your current result into the input so you can check the conversion back.
Text to Morse code
- Choose Text to Morse and type or paste a message. Lowercase letters are converted to uppercase.
- Read the result as groups of dots and dashes. A space separates letters; a slash separates words.
- Copy the code, press Play signal to hear it, or use Download WAV to save the audio.
Morse code to text
- Choose Morse to Text and paste patterns made from periods (.) and hyphens (-).
- Keep each letter’s marks together. Put a space between letters and a slash between words.
- Read the decoded message. If a pattern is flagged, check it against the alphabet before copying the result.
03 / WORKED EXAMPLES
Common messages in Morse code.
These examples use International Morse. HELLO begins with H (....) and E (.), followed by L (.-..) twice and O (---). In HI THERE, the slash marks the break between the two words. Try a message to load it into the translator with the matching standard.
| Message | International Morse code | Try it |
|---|---|---|
| HELLO | .... . .-.. .-.. --- | |
| HI THERE | .... .. / - .... . .-. . | |
| HELP | .... . .-.. .--. | |
| I LOVE YOU | .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- | |
| SOS | ... --- ... |
The table shows SOS as three written letters with letter gaps. The distress signal is sent as one continuous pattern, ...---..., without those letter gaps. This text encoder uses normal letter spacing. Read about the SOS signal.
04 / QUICK REFERENCE
The Morse code alphabet and numbers.
Each letter or digit has its own pattern. This International Morse chart covers A–Z and 0–9; select a character to load it into the tool. A slash between patterns marks a word break. The literal slash character has its own code, -..-.
Letters A–Z
Numbers 0–9
For more detail, use the complete alphabet chart, the numbers converter and the punctuation reference.
05 / TIMING & AUDIO
Morse code timing and audio playback.
International Morse uses one short unit of time. A dash lasts three units; the silences tell you whether the next mark belongs to the same letter, a new letter, or a new word. Audio, the light signal and WAV downloads follow the same timing here.
| Signal or gap | Length |
|---|---|
| Dot | 1 unit |
| Dash | 3 units |
| Gap inside a letter | 1 unit |
| Gap between letters | 3 units |
| Gap between words | 7 units |
Speed is measured in words per minute (WPM), using the 50-unit reference word PARIS. At 20 WPM, a dot lasts 60 milliseconds. Increase the speed to shorten the whole signal; change the pitch in Signal settings to adjust the tone.
The bars show sounds. The spaces show silence.
American Morse uses different patterns and spacing. Its long dashes and internal gaps need their own interpretation; see the American Morse guide before switching standards.
06 / DECODING HELP
Common Morse code decoding mistakes.
A written Morse decoder needs character boundaries. It cannot reliably guess where the letters end when a message has lost all its spaces. Check the separators first, then check any remaining patterns against the chart.
Missing letter spaces
Separate . and - represent E and T. Joining them as .- gives A. Leave one space between complete letter groups.
Missing word breaks
Use / between words. The pattern .... .. / - .... . .-. . reads HI THERE. Extra spaces, tabs and newlines separate letters in International mode; they do not create word gaps.
An unknown character or pattern
Unsupported characters and unknown groups remain visible and are flagged. Correct them before playback so the signal represents the complete message.
The wrong kind of input
Enter written dots and dashes. Voice input transcribes speech; it does not decode recorded Morse. The audio guide explains tone detection and timing.
07 / KEEP EXPLORING
More Morse code tools and practice.
Look up a character, compare a different code or practice listening to a complete message.
Morse punctuation
Check patterns for question marks, commas and other supported symbols.
American Morse
Compare railroad code with International Morse and understand its spacing.
Names in Morse code
See how a name breaks into letters before using it in a design.
Practice listening
Hear individual characters and test which patterns you recognize.
08 / YOUR QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Is this Morse code translator free?
Yes. You can translate, copy, play and download messages without creating an account. The input accepts up to 5,000 characters per message.
Can I translate Morse code to English?
Yes. Select Morse to Text and enter written dots and dashes. The result uses uppercase Latin letters, numbers and supported punctuation. Morse encodes characters; it does not translate sentences between languages.
What characters does the main tool support?
International mode supports A–Z, 0–9 and the punctuation shown in our reference. Some punctuation patterns are common conventions beyond the ITU table. Unsupported characters are preserved and flagged rather than silently removed.
Can I download the Morse code as sound?
Use Download WAV after entering a valid message. The file uses your selected speed and pitch. You can also turn on Light signal in Signal settings to follow the marks on screen.
Are my messages uploaded or saved?
Text conversion and audio generation run in your browser. Recent messages are stored in this browser and can be cleared. Optional voice input may use your browser provider’s online speech service.
Does the translator work offline?
After the page and its offline files have loaded, the main text translator and audio generator can work without a connection. Unvisited reference pages and optional voice recognition may still need internet access.
Does choosing another interface language change the code?
No. The language selector changes the interface. International and American Morse are separate code options. The main tool does not convert Japanese kana or Cyrillic text; changing the interface language does not add those mappings.