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Basic Text to Morse Code
Type any text and the translator converts it to Morse code instantly:
Input: HELLO WORLD
Output: .... . .-.. .-.. --- .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
Each letter is separated by a space. Words are separated by three spaces (shown here as a wider gap). Dots represent short signals, dashes represent long signals.
Morse Code to Text (Decoding)
Enter Morse code sequences to decode them back to text:
Input: ... --- ...
Output: SOS
Input: - . ... -
Output: TEST
The international distress signal SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots — one of the most recognizable Morse code sequences in the world.
Complete Alphabet Reference
The International Morse Code alphabet:
A .- N -.
B -... O ---
C -.-. P .--.
D -.. Q --.-
E . R .-.
F ..-. S ...
G --. T -
H .... U ..-
I .. V ...-
J .--- W .--
K -.- X -..-
L .-.. Y -.--
M -- Z --..
Notice that the most common letters in English have the shortest codes: E is a single dot, T is a single dash. This frequency-based design made telegraph operators faster.
Numbers in Morse Code
Digits 0–9 each use five elements:
0 ----- 5 .....
1 .---- 6 -....
2 ..--- 7 --...
3 ...-- 8 ---..
4 ....- 9 ----.
Input: 2024
Output: ..--- ----- ..--- ....-
Common Punctuation
Punctuation marks in International Morse Code:
Period (.) .-.-.-
Comma (,) --..--
Question mark (?) ..--..
Apostrophe (') .----.
Exclamation (!) -.-.--
Slash (/) -..-.
Hyphen (-) -....-
At sign (@) .--.-.
Input: HELLO, WORLD!
Output: .... . .-.. .-.. --- --..-- .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. -.-.--
Audio Playback Timing
The audio playback uses the standard Morse code timing ratios:
- Dot duration: 1 unit
- Dash duration: 3 units
- Gap between elements of the same letter: 1 unit
- Gap between letters: 3 units
- Gap between words: 7 units
At 20 WPM (words per minute), one unit is approximately 60ms. At 5 WPM (beginner speed), one unit is about 240ms. Use the speed slider to practice at a comfortable pace and gradually increase as you improve.
Aviation Navigation Identifiers
VOR and NDB stations transmit their identifier in Morse code. Pilots learn to recognize these:
JFK (New York JFK VOR): .--- ..-. -.-
LAX (Los Angeles VOR): .-.. .- -..-
ORD (Chicago O'Hare): --- .-. -..
LHR (London Heathrow): .-.. .... .-.
These identifiers are transmitted continuously on the navigation frequency. Pilots tune in and listen for the Morse code to confirm they have the correct station before using it for navigation.
Amateur Radio Prosigns
Prosigns are procedural signals used in amateur radio CW (Morse code) operation:
AR .-.-. (end of message)
SK ...-.- (end of contact)
BT -...- (break / new paragraph)
KN -.--. (go ahead, specific station only)
K -.- (go ahead, any station)
CQ -.-. --.- (calling any station)
DE -.. . (from / this is)
// Typical CQ call:
CQ CQ CQ DE W1ABC W1ABC K
-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.. . .-- .---- .- -... -.-. .-- .---- .- -... -.-. -.-
Practice Mode Example
The practice mode plays Morse code audio and you type what you hear:
// Audio plays: .... . .-.. .-.. ---
// You type: HELLO
// Result: Correct!
// Audio plays: .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
// You type: WORLD
// Result: Correct!
// Speed: 5 WPM → 10 WPM → 15 WPM → 20 WPM
Start at 5 WPM and increase the speed as you become comfortable. Most amateur radio operators aim for 13–20 WPM for comfortable conversation.
Encoding a Message for Emergency Use
Morse code can be signaled with a flashlight, mirror, or any on/off signal:
Message: NEED HELP
Morse: -. . . -.. .... . .-.. .--.
Signaling with a flashlight:
- Short flash = dot
- Long flash (3x longer) = dash
- Brief pause between elements of same letter
- Longer pause between letters
- Longest pause between words
SOS (... --- ...) is the universal distress signal — three short, three long, three short — and can be signaled with any light, sound, or visual means.
Historical Context
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail designed the code in the 1830s with efficiency in mind:
- E (most common English letter) = single dot — fastest to send
- T (second most common) = single dash — second fastest
- Q and Z (rare letters) = four-element codes — slower but rarely needed
This frequency-based encoding is the same principle used in modern data compression algorithms like Huffman coding. Morse code was essentially an early implementation of optimal prefix-free encoding, developed decades before information theory was formalized.