Morse Code Converter: Text to Morse and Morse to Text
Type a message to see it in dots and dashes, or paste Morse code and read it back as letters, using the signal table the ITU publishes.
Each letter, figure and punctuation mark has its own pattern of short signals (dots) and long ones (dashes). SOS is ... --- ..., three dots, three dashes, three dots. Here letters are separated by a space and words by a slash, so Hello world becomes .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
This converter turns text into International Morse code and back in your browser, following the signal table in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1. It is a learning and hobby tool. It is not an approved distress or signalling device. In an emergency, use a phone, a marine or aviation radio, or a beacon designed for the purpose.
Morse code
.... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
10 characters in 2 words, 111 dot units long
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About the Morse Code Converter
International Morse code is defined today by the ITU in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1, dated October 2009, which notes that versions of the code have been in use since 1844. That table has 26 letters, one accented letter (é), the figures 0 to 9 and 13 punctuation marks and signs, from the full stop to the @ used in email addresses. This converter uses exactly that table. Anything outside it, such as %, ! or #, has no Morse signal of its own, so it is skipped and listed under the result instead of being swapped for a guess. The Recommendation also fixes the rhythm: a dash lasts as long as three dots, the gap inside a letter is one dot, the gap between letters is three and the gap between words is seven. The result counts the length of your message in those dot units. SOS is 27 units long. PARIS is 43. When decoding, spaces split letters and a slash, a line break or two spaces split words. Middle dots and bullets are read as dots and underscores as dashes, so text copied from most sites pastes straight in.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some characters skipped?+
The ITU table only covers letters, the figures, é and 13 punctuation marks and signs. Characters such as %, !, &, # and most accented letters have no signal, so the converter leaves them out and lists them below the result. The Recommendation spells some of these out by hand: a multiplication sign is sent as the letter X, and a percent sign is written as 0/0, so 2% goes out as 2-0/0. This converter does not spell them out; it skips them.
What do the dot units under the result mean?+
They measure how long the message takes to send. A dot is 1 unit and a dash is 3. Inside a letter, the gap is 1 unit; between letters it is 3, and between words 7. Hello world comes to 111 units. If you know how long one dot takes at your speed, multiply the units by that time to get the sending time.
Why does the decoder show [error] or [end of work]?+
Some signals stand for an instruction rather than a character. Eight dots means the sender made a mistake, ...-.- marks the end of work, and the Recommendation lists understood, wait and a starting signal as well. They have no letter, so the decoder names them in brackets. The signal -.- is also used as an invitation to transmit, but it is the letter K, so it decodes as K.
How should I separate words when I type Morse code?+
Put one space between letters and a slash between words, as in .... .. / - .... . .-. . for HI THERE. A vertical bar, a new line or two spaces in a row also work as word breaks. If a group of dots and dashes is not in the table, the decoder says which letter it was so you can fix it.
Is Morse code a way to keep a message secret?+
No. The code is published, and anyone with the table can read a message in it, so it hides nothing. It is a way to send letters over a channel that can only carry on and off, such as a tone, a light or a tapping sound.
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