The complete Morse code converter
This free Morse code translator converts text to Morse code and Morse code back to text in real time. It plays authentic Morse audio, flashes the screen, vibrates your phone, and exports to TXT, WAV and PDF. Built-in learning charts, a trainer and quizzes help students, amateur (HAM) radio operators and enthusiasts master the code — entirely in your browser.
Real Morse audio
Play your code as adjustable tones (5–40 WPM, 200–1200 Hz) with pause, resume and loop.
Screen flashing
Blink the screen — or go fullscreen — in time with the code for visual signalling.
Phone vibration
Feel the dots and dashes through your phone’s vibration motor on supported devices.
Export anywhere
Download the text, the Morse, a WAV audio file, or a timestamped PDF of both.
Trainer & quiz
Practice listening with accuracy tracking and take scored 10/20/custom quizzes.
100% private
Encoding, audio and downloads all run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Quick answers
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS in Morse code is: ... --- ...
How do you say HELLO in Morse code?
HELLO in Morse code is: .... . .-.. .-.. ---
What is “I LOVE YOU” in Morse code?
I LOVE YOU is: .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-
What is the Morse code for HELP?
HELP in Morse code is: .... . .-.. .--.
What is the Morse code for the letter A?
The letter A in Morse code is: .-
What is MAYDAY in Morse code?
MAYDAY is: -- .- -.-- -.. .- -.--
Morse code charts
Alphabet (A–Z)
Numbers (0–9)
Punctuation & symbols
International & accented letters
How Morse timing works
Morse is built from two signals and four gaps, all measured in time-units. A dot is one unit and a dash is three. Inside a character the gap is one unit, between characters it is three units, and between words it is seven units. Speed is set in words per minute (WPM) using the reference word “PARIS”, so at 20 WPM a single dot lasts 60 milliseconds. This converter reproduces that exact timing in its audio, flashing and vibration output.
Understanding Morse code
What is Morse code?
Morse code is a character-encoding scheme that represents letters, numbers and punctuation as standardized sequences of short and long signals called dots and dashes. These signals can be sent as sound, light, electrical pulses or on-off keying of a radio carrier, making Morse one of the most flexible and durable communication methods ever devised.
How does Morse code work?
Each character maps to a unique pattern of dots (one time-unit) and dashes (three time-units). Gaps carry meaning too: one unit between signals in a character, three units between characters and seven units between words. A receiver — human or machine — decodes the rhythm back into text. Because it relies only on the presence or absence of a signal, Morse can be transmitted over almost any medium.
Who invented Morse code and when?
Morse code originated with Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Joseph Henry in the United States during the late 1830s and 1840s, alongside the electric telegraph. Vail is credited with much of the letter-frequency design. The International Morse Code used today was standardized in Europe in 1865 and is maintained by the ITU.
Why is Morse code still used today?
Morse remains valuable because it is extremely bandwidth-efficient and resilient. A faint Morse signal can be read through noise that would make voice unintelligible, it needs only the simplest transmitter, and it can be sent by sound, light or touch. Amateur radio operators, aviation navigation beacons and emergency signalling all still rely on it.
Where is Morse code used in the real world?
Common uses include amateur (HAM) radio contacts, VOR and NDB aviation beacon identifiers, maritime and military signalling history, assistive communication for people with limited mobility, and emergency situations where tapping or flashing SOS can summon help without any equipment.
Emergency communication
The SOS distress signal
Adopted internationally in 1906, SOS (... --- ...) is sent as one continuous nine-element signal with no internal letter gaps. It was chosen for being simple, symmetric and impossible to mistake, and remains the universal call for help.
Distress & procedural signals
Beyond SOS, Morse uses prosigns — special run-together signals — such as CQD (an early distress call) and the “attention” and “end of message” markers that structure a transmission so operators stay in sync.
Maritime communication
For most of the 20th century ships kept a Morse radio watch on 500 kHz. Although the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System replaced it in 1999, Morse shaped the protocols and discipline of life-saving communication at sea.
Aviation & navigation
Pilots still confirm they have tuned the correct navigation aid by listening to its Morse identifier — VOR and NDB beacons continuously transmit their two- or three-letter code so it can be verified by ear.
Military history
From the trenches of World War I to covert operations, Morse provided reliable communication over telegraph and radio. Its low bandwidth and readability under heavy interference made it a strategic asset for over a century.
Frequently asked questions
What is Morse code?
Morse code is a method of encoding text characters as sequences of two signals — dots (short) and dashes (long). It was developed in the 1830s–1840s for the electrical telegraph and is still used in radio, aviation and emergency signalling.
How do I convert text to Morse code?
Type or paste your text into the converter and the Morse code appears instantly below. Each letter is separated by a space and each word by a forward slash (/). You can then copy, play, flash or download the result.
How do I convert Morse code to text?
Paste Morse code using dots (.) and dashes (-), with spaces between letters and a slash (/) between words. The tool auto-detects Morse input and decodes it back to plain text in real time.
Does the converter auto-detect text or Morse?
Yes. If your input contains only dots, dashes, spaces and slashes it is treated as Morse and decoded; otherwise it is encoded to Morse. You can also switch direction manually with the swap button.
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots: ... --- ... It is the international distress signal, chosen because the pattern is simple and unmistakable, not because the letters stand for any words.
Can I play Morse code as sound?
Yes. The built-in audio generator plays your Morse code as real tones using the Web Audio API. You can adjust speed (WPM), tone frequency and volume, and pause, resume or loop playback.
What is WPM in Morse code?
WPM means words per minute and sets the transmission speed. It uses the standard word PARIS as a 50-unit reference, so 20 WPM means a dot lasts 60 milliseconds. Beginners usually start at 5–10 WPM.
Can I flash Morse code on the screen?
Yes. The flashlight mode blinks the screen in time with the Morse code, which is useful for visual signalling demonstrations and for learning the rhythm of each character.
Can my phone vibrate Morse code?
On supported Android browsers, the vibrate mode plays the Morse pattern through the phone’s vibration motor. Apple iOS browsers do not currently expose the Vibration API, so it may not work on iPhones.
Can I download Morse code as audio?
Yes. You can export the Morse code as a WAV audio file generated directly in your browser, as well as download the original text, the Morse code, or a PDF containing both with a timestamp.
Is Morse code still used today?
Yes. Amateur (HAM) radio operators use it daily, aviation beacons still identify themselves in Morse, and it remains a reliable fallback for emergency and low-bandwidth communication because it works when voice does not.
Who invented Morse code?
It was developed by Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Joseph Henry in the United States during the late 1830s and 1840s for the electric telegraph. The modern international version was standardized in 1865.
How long does it take to learn Morse code?
Most people can learn all the letters in a few weeks of short daily practice. Using the built-in trainer and quiz with sound — rather than memorizing a chart — is the fastest, most reliable method.
Is this Morse code converter accurate?
Yes. It uses the official International Morse Code (ITU-R M.1677-1) definitions for every letter, digit and punctuation mark, plus the common accented-letter extensions, so encoding and decoding are exact.
Does it support international and accented characters?
Yes. Beyond A–Z and 0–9 it supports Ä, Á/Å, É, Ñ, Ö, Ü, Ç and È, along with full punctuation such as period, comma, question mark, slash and the @ sign.
What punctuation does Morse code support?
International Morse includes period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark, apostrophe, quotation marks, colon, semicolon, parentheses, ampersand, at-sign, dollar, equals, plus, minus, underscore and slash.
Why are there spaces and slashes in the output?
A single space separates letters and a slash (/) separates words. The spacing matters: in real transmission a letter gap is three time-units and a word gap is seven, which the audio player reproduces.
Is the converter free and private?
Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and everything — encoding, audio, flashing and downloads — runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded to a server.
Does it work offline and on mobile?
Yes. The tool is mobile-first and works offline once the page has loaded. Audio, flashing and (on Android) vibration all work on supported mobile browsers.
What is the difference between a dot and a dash?
A dot (dit) is one time-unit long; a dash (dah) is three time-units. Within a character the gap is one unit, between characters three units, and between words seven units.
Can I practice and test my Morse code?
Yes. The trainer plays random characters or words for you to identify with accuracy tracking, and the quiz mode generates scored 10, 20 or custom-length tests across four difficulty levels.
What does CQ mean in Morse code?
CQ (-.-. --.-) is a general call meaning “seek you” — any station is invited to respond. It is widely used by amateur radio operators to start a conversation.
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