Morse code turns language into a simple rhythm of short and long signals — dots (·) and dashes (−) — that can be sent by sound, light, or a tap of the hand. This Morse code translator converts text into Morse code and decodes Morse code back into plain English instantly, so you can encode a message or read one without memorizing the alphabet.
How to read and write Morse code
Each letter, number and punctuation mark is represented by a unique pattern of dots and dashes. In this translator, letters are separated by a single space and words by a slash (/). Type ordinary text in "Text → Morse" mode to encode it, or switch to "Morse → Text" to decode a message. Frequent letters were deliberately given the shortest codes — E is a single dot and T a single dash — which keeps real messages quick to send.
The famous SOS signal
The best-known sequence, SOS (· · · − − − · · ·), was chosen as the international distress call precisely because its simple, symmetric pattern is hard to mistake even through noise. It is sent as one continuous string rather than three separate letters.
How Morse timing works
Morse is built on relative timing. A dash lasts three times as long as a dot. Within a letter, symbols are separated by a one-unit gap; letters are separated by three units; and words by seven. That timing is what lets Morse travel by flashing light, radio tones, or even blinking.
Where Morse code is still used
Though it is no longer required for maritime communication, Morse code lives on with amateur radio operators, as a resilient emergency signalling method, and as an accessibility tool — because a message reduced to two simple states can pass through almost any channel.