About the Morse Code Translator
This Morse code translator converts English text into International Morse code and decodes Morse code back into readable text. It detects the direction automatically — type letters to encode, or paste dots and dashes to decode — and supports letters, numbers and common punctuation from the ITU standard.
It is useful for amateur radio operators practising for the airwaves, students and scouts learning the code, puzzle and escape-room makers, and anyone curious how a message such as SOS is sent. The timing section shows how many standard time units the message takes and how long it lasts at your chosen words-per-minute speed.
In the output, letters are separated by a space and words by a slash ( / ). When decoding, you can separate words with a slash, a vertical bar or three spaces, and dots written as • or dashes written as – or _ are accepted. Unknown codes are shown as a question mark so you can spot typos.
How to use the morse code translator
- 1Type text to encode, or paste dots and dashes to decode.
- 2Leave the direction on automatic, or force text → Morse or Morse → text.
- 3Separate Morse letters with spaces and words with a slash when decoding.
- 4Set a sending speed to see how long the message takes to transmit.
Formula and method
International Morse code represents each character as a sequence of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes). By the ITU standard a dash is three times as long as a dot, the gap between signals within a character is one dot, the gap between letters is three dots and the gap between words is seven dots. This translator counts those units for your message, excluding any trailing gap.
Speed in words per minute is defined with the standard word "PARIS", which is exactly 50 units long including its trailing word gap, so at W words per minute one unit lasts 60 ÷ (50 × W) = 1.2 ÷ W seconds. At 20 WPM a dot is 60 milliseconds.
- units
- Total dot-lengths: dot 1, dash 3, intra-letter gap 1, letter gap 3, word gap 7
- WPM
- Sending speed in words per minute (PARIS standard)
Worked examples
Encoding a distress call
S is three dots and O is three dashes. S takes 5 units (3 dots + 2 gaps), O takes 11 (3 dashes × 3 + 2 gaps), plus two 3-unit letter gaps: 5 + 11 + 5 + 6 = 27 units. At 20 WPM each unit is 0.06 s, so SOS takes 1.62 seconds.
Decoding a message
The input contains only dots, dashes, spaces and a slash, so it is decoded automatically. Each space-separated group is one letter and the slash marks the break between the two words.
Sentence with numbers
Letters are joined by spaces and words by " / ". Counting dots, dashes and gaps gives 85 units; at 15 WPM a unit is 0.08 s, so the message takes 6.8 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?+
SOS is ... --- ... (three dots, three dashes, three dots). It is sent as one continuous signal without the usual gaps between letters and was adopted as the international distress signal in 1906.
How do you separate words in Morse code?+
In sound or light, words are separated by a silence seven dots long and letters by three dots. In written Morse, letters are usually separated by a space and words by a slash (/) or several spaces.
How fast is Morse code?+
Beginners typically copy 5–13 words per minute; the old US amateur licence tests required 5 to 20 WPM. Experienced operators often work at 20–30 WPM, and contest operators go well beyond 40 WPM.
Is Morse code still used today?+
Yes. Amateur radio operators use it widely because it gets through weak and noisy conditions, aviation navigation beacons identify themselves in Morse, and it is used as an accessibility input method for some people with limited mobility.
Does Morse code have lowercase letters?+
No. Morse code has no case, so "Hello" and "HELLO" produce the same code and decoded text is shown in capitals. Many symbols, such as % and #, have no standard Morse code either.