Morse Code Translator
Translate text into Morse code, or paste dots and dashes to turn them back into text.
About this tool
Type normal text to get Morse code, or paste dots (.) and dashes (-) to get text: the tool detects which one you entered. In the Morse output, letters are separated by a space and words by a slash.
Morse code spells out letters with short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes), and it is still used by radio amateurs, pilots checking navigation beacons and anyone who enjoys a secret message. Type text to turn it into International Morse code, or paste a string of dots and dashes to read it. The translator handles letters, numbers and common punctuation, and works out which direction you want automatically.
How to use the Morse Code Translator
- Type or paste text, or Morse code made of dots and dashes.
- Read the translation in the box underneath; the direction is detected for you.
- In Morse, leave a space between letters and a / between words.
- Copy the result.
Translating SOS Help
S is three dots and O is three dashes, so SOS is ... --- ... and HELP is .... . .-.. .--. Put together with a slash between the words, SOS Help becomes ... --- ... / .... . .-.. .--. Pasting that back in returns SOS HELP, because Morse code has no lowercase letters.
How Morse code works
International Morse code gives each letter and number a pattern of dots and dashes; the most common letters get the shortest codes, so E is a single dot and T a single dash. Timing does the rest: a dash lasts three times as long as a dot, there is a one-dot gap between the signals in a letter, a three-dot gap between letters and a seven-dot gap between words. In writing, those gaps become a space between letters and a slash between words. The famous distress signal SOS (... --- ...) was chosen because it is easy to send and recognise, not because it stands for any words. Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed the original code for the electric telegraph in the 1830s and 1840s; the international version used today was standardised later.
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots), sent as one continuous signal.
How do I write a space between words?
Use a slash (/). Letters inside a word are separated by single spaces.
Does Morse code have lowercase letters?
No. Morse code only has one form of each letter, so translations back to text come out in capitals.
What characters are supported?
The letters A to Z, digits 0 to 9 and common punctuation such as . , ? ! / ( ) & : ; = + - " @ and the apostrophe. Anything else is listed and left out.