Morse Code Alphabet A-Z
How to read the alphabet chart
The chart shows the International pattern for each Latin letter and digit. A dot is a short signal and a dash is a longer one; neither symbol is pronounced as punctuation when listening to Morse. Read all the marks in a character as one group. For example, A is .-, while separate E and T characters are . -.
Use Letters to focus on A–Z, Numbers to show 0–9, or All to compare both. The audio button plays the International pattern on that row. Sorting changes the order of the reference, not the code itself. On a narrow screen, some comparison columns are hidden so the main pattern remains readable.
In a written message, keep one space between letter groups and use / for a word break. The chart can identify a group such as .-.. as L, but it cannot tell you where a letter ends if all groups were joined together without separators. Check boundaries before trying to decode an unfamiliar string.
International, American and NATO columns
The American column is a comparison with historical railroad Morse. Some characters have internal pauses and some marks are longer than an International dash. C is -.-. in International Morse but .. . in American Morse. Those internal spaces belong to C; treating them as separate letters changes the message.
The spoken names Alfa, Bravo and Charlie are NATO spelling-alphabet words. They help distinguish letters over voice communication, but they are not a way to pronounce Morse sounds. Keep spelling names, written marks and audio rhythms separate when checking a message.
From one character to a complete message
Choose a short message you already know, such as HI. Find H and I independently, listen to each, then play them together in the translator. Notice the longer silence between characters compared with the gaps inside H. That silence is part of the code, not a decorative pause.
For learning by ear, listen before looking at the chart and use the pattern to check your answer afterward. For writing, a chart is a useful reference. The practice page offers individual-character questions; the printable sheet offers a compact offline reference. Neither task requires memorizing the whole table before starting.
This chart intentionally covers A–Z and 0–9. Punctuation is listed separately. Interface language does not replace these patterns with Japanese Wabun, Russian Cyrillic or another alphabet; verify the supported character set before entering a name in a different script.
Read the American and NATO columns correctly
The American column is a historical character mapping. Four dash marks used for American L represent one long mark in this implementation, not four repeated International T characters. A space inside an American group is part of that character; ordinary visual spaces in a printed chart do not tell the whole timing story. Use the American guide’s audio comparison.
The NATO column supplies a spoken code word for a character. Alfa represents A when spelling by voice; it is not how the dot-dash rhythm is pronounced. Encoding ALFA as text sends four letters. The International audio buttons on this chart play the selected character’s International marks.
Worked examples
These patterns use International Morse. Spaces separate letters; / separates words. A slash in the original text is encoded as -..-.
- HI
- Try this message
.... ..0.78 seconds at 20 WPM - CAT
- Try this message
-.-. .- -1.50 seconds at 20 WPM