Morse Code Converter

Convert text to Morse code and decode Morse code back to text

What is it and how does it work?

Morse code is a character encoding system that uses dots (·) and dashes (−) to represent letters, digits, and punctuation. Developed in the 1830s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail for electric telegraph communication, it was the world's first practical binary encoding — long before digital computers. Each character is a unique sequence: A is ·−, B is −···, S is ···, O is −−−, giving SOS its famous pattern (··· −−− ···).

This converter translates text to Morse code and Morse code back to text. It supports the International Morse Code standard (ITU-R M.1677-1) covering A–Z, 0–9, and common punctuation. You can also play back the Morse code as audio tones — useful for learning the rhythm and for practising sending and receiving messages by ear.

Common use cases

• Emergency signalling: SOS (··· −−− ···) is the universally recognised distress signal — knowing Morse can be life-saving in emergency survival scenarios without radio.
• Ham radio (amateur radio): Morse code (CW) is still used on the 40m and 80m ham radio bands and CW contest events, where its efficiency in low-signal conditions outperforms voice.
• Educational hobby: Morse code is widely used in Boy Scout and educational contexts to teach encoding, communication history, and pattern recognition.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between dots and dashes in Morse?

A dot (dit) is one unit long; a dash (dah) is three units. Intra-character gaps are one unit; inter-character gaps are three units; inter-word gaps are seven units. Correct timing is essential for readable Morse — the code is as much about the rhythm as the pattern.

Is Morse code still used today?

Yes. Amateur (ham) radio operators still use Morse (CW mode) globally. It's also used in aviation (VOR/NDB navigational beacons transmit their IDs in Morse), some maritime communication, and assistive technology (people with limited mobility can communicate using Morse via switch inputs).

Why is SOS the distress signal?

SOS (··· −−− ···) was chosen not for what it stands for (it doesn't abbreviate anything officially) but for its simplicity: three dots, three dashes, three dots are easy to remember and transmit. It was internationally adopted in 1906 at the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference.

Can I encode non-Latin scripts in Morse?

Standard International Morse covers A–Z only. Separate Morse standards exist for Russian (Cyrillic), Japanese (Wabun code), Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic scripts. This tool covers the Latin-alphabet standard.

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