Morse Code Translator (with Sound)
This Morse code translator turns text into International Morse code and back again. Play it as sound at the speed you choose, or download a .wav file for practice or projects.
How to use the Morse code translator
- Type text or Morse code. The tool detects which one you entered. For Morse, use . and – with one space between letters and a / between words.
- Press Convert to translate.
- Press Play to hear it, or choose a slower speed to learn. Press again to stop.
- Download a .wav file if you want the sound for a video, a game or practice on your phone.
How Morse code works
International Morse code represents each letter, digit and some punctuation marks as a short sequence of two signals: a short “dot” (dit) and a long “dash” (dah). The tool uses the official character set in Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1 from the International Telecommunication Union, plus a few common extras (! & ; _ $) that operators use but the ITU list leaves out.
Timing is everything in Morse. All lengths are measured in one unit, the length of a dot:
dot = 1 unit · dash = 3 units · gap inside a letter = 1 unit · gap between letters = 3 units · gap between words = 7 units
Speed is measured in words per minute (wpm), using the word PARIS, which is exactly 50 units long. At 20 wpm that is 1,000 units a minute, so one unit lasts 60 ÷ 1,000 = 60 milliseconds. In general:
unit length in milliseconds = 1,200 ÷ words per minute
The player and the .wav file use that formula, with a short fade at the start and end of each tone so it sounds clean rather than clicky.
International Morse code chart
| Letter | Code | Letter | Code | Digit | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- | N | -. | 1 | .—- |
| B | -… | O | — | 2 | ..— |
| C | -.-. | P | .–. | 3 | …– |
| D | -.. | Q | –.- | 4 | ….- |
| E | . | R | .-. | 5 | ….. |
| F | ..-. | S | … | 6 | -…. |
| G | –. | T | – | 7 | –… |
| H | …. | U | ..- | 8 | —.. |
| I | .. | V | …- | 9 | —-. |
| J | .— | W | .– | 0 | —– |
| K | -.- | X | -..- | ||
| L | .-.. | Y | -.– | ||
| M | — | Z | –.. |
| Punctuation | Code | Punctuation | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full stop . | .-.-.- | Comma , | –..– |
| Question mark ? | ..–.. | Apostrophe ‘ | .—-. |
| Slash / | -..-. | Hyphen – | -….- |
| Brackets ( ) | -.–. and -.–.- | Quote “ | .-..-. |
| Colon : | —… | Equals = | -…- |
| Plus + | .-.-. | At sign @ | .–.-. |
The pattern is not random. The most common English letters got the shortest codes: E is a single dot and T a single dash.
Examples
SOS
SOS is … — … and it is the tool’s default example. It was chosen as a distress signal because it is easy to send and recognise. It is not short for “save our souls”. In real distress use it is sent as one continuous signal without letter gaps.
A short message
“Hi Bob” becomes …. .. / -… — -… The slash marks the gap between words.
Reading Morse
Paste — — .-. … . / -.-. — -.. . and you get MORSE CODE. The tool also accepts the typographic symbols · and − that some websites use instead of . and -.
Learning Morse code
Most teachers recommend learning by sound, not by memorising dots and dashes on paper. A common method is to hear each letter at a fast character speed (around 18 to 20 wpm) but with longer gaps between letters. This is called Farnsworth spacing, and it stops you counting dots. Start with letters that sound very different, such as E, T, A and N, then add a few at a time. Use the 10 wpm setting here to listen to short words, then try to write them down before you look. Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed the first code for the electric telegraph in the 1830s and 1840s. The international version used today was standardised in Europe in 1865 and is still used by amateur radio operators and in aviation navigation beacons.