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Free Morse code translator and decoder

Morse code translator with true timing.

Type text to get Morse code, or paste dots and dashes to read them in English. Play the result as sound, light or vibration, or save it as an MP3. Free, in your browser.

This is the real translator. Type anything.

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Up to 5,000 characters

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Morse code
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Each letter shows here with its dots and dashes. Select one to play from it.

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  • 53Free Morse code tools
  • 8Code tables, from Latin to Wabun
  • 5–40WPMSpeeds, at true timing
  • $0No sign-up, runs in your browser

Every letter, drawn to time

The Morse code alphabet at true timing.

  • A dot is one unit

    The shortest signal, and the gap inside a letter.

  • A dash is three

    Three dots long, as is the gap between letters.

  • Press play to hear it

    Each letter plays at 18 WPM. Open a tile for its own page.

Five steps

How to use the Morse code translator.

Try it in the translator
  1. Type or paste your message into the box. The translation appears as you type. Paste dots and dashes and the translator switches to Morse to text on its own, with an Undo if you meant it as text.

  2. Writing Morse yourself? Leave one space between letters and a slash between words, so .... .. / - .... . .-. . reads HI THERE. Pasted Morse in another format usually works too; see how it reads what you paste.

  3. Press Play. Choose Sound, Light or Vibrate, and set the Speed and Tone on the player bar; each setting is explained below.

  4. Copy the result, or share it as a link or as a puzzle your friend has to solve. For dots and dashes styled to paste into a text or a bio, use Morse code copy and paste.

  5. Download it as MP3 audio, WAV audio or a text file to keep a copy.

Every control

What each setting means.

Speed and Tone sit on the player bar. Farnsworth spacing, word spacing, Repeat, Volume and the sound are under Timing and sound. Reset to defaults puts them all back.

Back to the translator
Text to Morse or Morse to textTabs above the box
The direction of the translation. Paste dots and dashes and the translator switches to Morse to text on its own; pick a tab yourself and it stays there until you clear the box.
Code tableAbove the box
Which Morse code to use. International Morse is the default; the other 7 cover American Morse and alphabets such as Russian, Greek and Japanese. Pick it before you type.
SpeedPlayer bar
How fast the Morse plays, in words per minute (WPM), from 5 to 40. One WPM is the word PARIS sent once in a minute. The default is 18 WPM, where a dot lasts 66.7 ms. For a slow Morse code translator, drop the speed or turn on Farnsworth spacing.
TonePlayer bar
The pitch of the beep, from 300 to 1000 Hz, set at 600 Hz to start. Pick whatever is easiest on your ears; it doesn’t change the timing.
Sound, Light and VibratePlayer bar
How the message plays: as a tone, as a lamp in the translator that flashes with each dot and dash, or as a buzz on phones that can vibrate. Turn on more than one and they keep in step.
Farnsworth spacingTiming and sound
Letters keep their full speed, but the gaps between letters and words stretch to a slower overall speed (13 WPM unless you change it). Learners use it to hear each letter’s rhythm without being rushed. The example below shows what it does at 18 WPM.
Extra word spacingTiming and sound
Stretches only the gaps between words, 1.5× to 4× their usual length, so you have time to write each word down.
Repeat, Volume and SoundTiming and sound
Repeat plays the message again after a word gap until you stop it. Volume starts at 70%. Sound picks a radio tone, the steady beep operators hear, or the click of a telegraph sounder.
Farnsworth spacing at 18 WPM, worked outLetters at 18 WPM, spaced out to an overall 13 WPM with the ARRL’s Farnsworth formula. The dots and dashes stay the same; only the gaps grow.
Part of the signalPlain 18 WPMFarnsworth 18/13
Dot66.7 ms66.7 ms
Dash200 ms200 ms
Gap between letters200 ms402 ms
Gap between words467 ms939 ms

To keep a copy with these settings, download the MP3 from the translator, or use the Morse code generator for counted repeats and radio static.

The standard

Morse code timing and the PARIS standard.

The translator times Morse the way ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1 sets it out, in units. A dot is one unit and a dash is three; the gap inside a letter is one unit, between letters three and between words seven. Words per minute are counted with the word PARIS, exactly 50 units long with the word gap after it, so one unit lasts 1,200 ms divided by the speed: 66.7 ms at the translator’s 18 WPM. The sound, the light, the vibration and the MP3 all follow the same units, so the message has the rhythm of real Morse and not a row of evenly spaced beeps.

PARIS on a 50-unit rulerP: dot dash dash dot; A: dot dash; R: dot dash dot; I: dot dot; S: dot dot dot; then a 7-unit gap between words. A dot lasts 1 unit, a dash 3, the gap inside a letter 1, between letters 3 and between words 7.PARIS01020304050Dot 1Letter gap 3Dash 3Word gap 7
The word PARIS in Morse code on a 50-unit ruler. Each tick is one unit.
Dot
1 unit
Dash
3 units
Gap inside a letter
1 unit
Gap between letters
3 units
Gap between words
7 units
One unit at 18 WPM
66.7 ms

Messy input welcome

How it reads what you paste.

Morse copied from a puzzle, a forum or a chat rarely comes in one neat format. These are the cases the translator handles, each run through it as you read this page.

Spacing, slashes and symbols

One or two spaces separate letters. A slash, a pipe, a backslash, a line break, a tab or three spaces separate words. A code the table doesn’t have shows as a question mark, and a note under the box says how many there were.

How typed Morse is read
CaseYou pasteReads
One space between letters, a slash between wordsThe standard way to write Morse code..... .. / - .... . .-. .HI THERE
Three spaces instead of a slashThree or more spaces, a tab or a line break count as a word gap..... .. - .... . .-. .HI THERE
A pipe or a backslash between wordsSome sites write word gaps this way; both read as a slash..... .. | - .... . .-. .HI THERE
Doubled slashesRepeated separators collapse into one word gap..... .. // - .... . .-. .HI THERE
Round dots and long dashesBullets, middle dots and the long dashes that copy and paste brings along read as dots and dashes.•••• •• / — •••• • •—• •HI THERE
Underscores for dashesAn underscore is read as a dash, so two then one is M then T.__ _MT
Letters with no gap between themSix dots is no letter in International Morse, so it shows as a question mark. With a space after the fourth dot, it reads HI.......?
A prosignSOS sent as one unbroken signal is a prosign, shown in angle brackets....---...<SOS>

Characters with no Morse code

Morse has codes for letters, digits and some punctuation, and nothing else. The translator never guesses a code: it sends a close letter where one exists and leaves the rest out, naming them under the box.

Letters are sent the same in capitals and small letters, since Morse has no case. The full lists are on the punctuation, numbers and accented letters pages, and the prosigns are with the abbreviations and Q codes.

How text with no Morse code is handled
CaseYou typeMorse code
An accented letter with its own codeÉ is the one accented letter in the ITU standard. The translator also has the codes in common use for Ä, Ö, Ü, Ñ, Ç and a few more.Café-.-. .- ..-. ..-..
An accented letter without oneË has no code, so it is sent as a plain E.Zoë--.. --- .
German ßß is sent as two S's, the way it is written in capitals.Straße... - .-. .- ... ... .
Symbols with no Morse codeThe % sign has no code. It is left out and named under the box.50% off..... ----- / --- ..-. ..-.
An emojiEmoji have no code either, so the heart is left out and named.I ❤ you.. / -.-- --- ..-
A prosign typed in angle bracketsType a prosign in angle brackets to send it as one signal with no letter gaps.<SK>...-.-

Morse written with no spaces at all can be read more than one way, so this translator won’t split it for you; the Morse decoder without spaces lists the likeliest readings. For Morse you hear or see rather than type, the Morse code audio translator reads a recording and the Morse code image translator reads a photo or screenshot.

Try a message

Examples you can play.

Each card plays at 18 WPM, the translator’s own speed. Check any code by hand against the Morse code alphabet chart. To send your own, type it in the translator above.

Every Morse code phrase

Text to Morse code

  • SOS

    The distress signal

    ... --- ...

  • HELLO

    .... . .-.. .-.. ---

  • I LOVE YOU

    .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-

  • HELP

    .... . .-.. .--.

  • THANK YOU

    - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-

  • 73

    Best regards, in radio shorthand

    --... ...--

And the other way, from Morse to English

  • .... .. / - .... . .-. .

    Reads HI THERE

  • -.-. --.-

    Calling any station

    Reads CQ

  • --. --- --- -.. / -- --- .-. -. .. -. --.

    Reads GOOD MORNING

Both directions

Text to Morse, and Morse to text.

Morse code is a fixed table of dots and dashes, one pattern per letter, digit or punctuation mark. The translator looks every character up in that table, so it swaps letters for codes and back; it doesn’t translate between languages. Each direction also has a page of its own with more options.

Text to Morse code

Each letter becomes its pattern, with one space between letters and a slash between words: .... . .-.. .-.. --- is HELLO. Digits are always five signals, from .---- for 1 to ----- for 0.

For whole sentences, names, and copying one word per line or with · and — symbols for print, open the English to Morse page.

English to Morse code translator

Morse code to English

Paste dots and dashes and read the message in capitals. No Morse to paste? Tap it in with the dot and dash keys under the box, or have the result read aloud.

To check a message letter by letter, with each code and what it stands for side by side, open the Morse code to English page.

Morse code to English

Morse code in other alphabets

Languages written in Latin letters, such as Spanish, French and German, use International Morse. For another script, pick its code table above the box before you type or paste.

Show what each code table is for
The translator’s eight code tables
Code tableUsed for
InternationalThe ITU standard: English and most languages written in Latin letters, plus É, Ä, Ö, Ü, Ñ and the other accented letters in on-air use
American (Railroad)The original 1840s landline code, with its spaced letters and long dashes
Russian (Cyrillic)Russian and other Cyrillic text
GreekGreek letters
HebrewHebrew letters, final forms sent as their base letter
ArabicArabic letters
Japanese (Wabun)Kana, sent with the Japanese Wabun code (Wabun code translator)
Korean (SKATS)Hangul, sent with the Korean SKATS mapping
  • Russian Morse code: .--. .-. .. .-- . - is ПРИВЕТ (hello). Many Cyrillic letters share a pattern with a Latin one, so П is sent like P.
  • American Morse code: O is two dots with a space inside the letter, where International O is --- (three dashes). Read more about American Morse code and Japanese Morse code.
  • Morse code in Spanish uses the International table plus Ñ (--.--), so pick International for Spanish, French or German. Military Morse code is International Morse too.

Learn by ear

Learn it the Koch way.

Learn every character at full speed from the first lesson. Start with K and M, then add the next character each time you copy 90% of a lesson correctly.

Start the Koch method course
  1. K
  2. M
  3. U
  4. R
  5. E
  6. S
  7. N
  8. A
  9. P
  10. T
  11. L
  12. W
  13. I
  14. .
  15. J
  16. Z
  17. =
  18. F
  19. O
  20. Y
  21. ,
  22. V
  23. G
  24. 5
  25. /
  26. Q
  27. 9
  28. 2
  29. H
  30. 3
  31. 8
  32. B
  33. ?
  34. 4
  35. 7
  36. C
  37. 1
  38. D
  39. 6
  40. 0
  41. X

53 free tools

Morse code tools for every way to use it.

Decoders, senders, trainers and games. 53 tools, all free, no sign-up, and each one runs in your browser.

Show tools

Decode

All 6 decoders

Send

All 9 send tools

Practice

All 11 trainers

Make

All 13 make tools

Play

All 11 games

Codes

Latest guides

Plain answers about Morse code.

Read all guides

Trust and limits

Private by design. Honest about limits.

About this site
  • On your device

    Runs in your browser

    This free Morse code translator works online in your browser: the text you type, the audio and the light are made on your device and nothing is uploaded.

  • In the link

    Share links stay private

    A shared link carries the message after the # in the address, which never reaches our server.

  • Know the limits

    What it does not do

    The translator reads typed dots, dashes and gaps. It doesn’t split Morse written with no spaces, and it doesn’t listen to sound; the decoders do that. A message can be up to 5,000 characters.

  • ITU-R M.1677-1

    Tested against the standard

    Every table is tested: each code decodes back to its own character and no two characters share a code, and every example on this page is checked against the translator by a test. Timing follows ITU-R M.1677-1. Built by Aman Singh for Translate Morse Code, an independent site; last updated November 2026.

Good questions

Frequently asked questions.

Everything you need to know about the translator

Still have questions? Contact us

How do I decode a Morse code message?

Paste it into the translator above: it switches to Morse to text on its own and the English appears straight away. With one space between letters and a slash between words, .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- reads I LOVE YOU, and most other spacing works too.

To check it by hand, look each pattern up in the Morse code alphabet. For Morse you hear, see or photograph, the decoders read it for you.

How do I write Morse code?

Write each letter as its dots and dashes, leave one space between letters and put a slash between words. HELP ME is .... . .-.. .--. / -- ., with the slash marking the gap between the two words. Or type the words into the translator above and copy the result, ready to paste.

What does __ _ mean in Morse code?

It reads MT. Underscores are a common way to type dashes, so two then one is -- -, M then T. The translator reads underscores, long dashes and round dots as dashes and dots, so you can paste a message as you found it.

Can Google Translate translate Morse code?

No. Morse code isn’t one of the languages Google Translate supports, so it can’t turn dots and dashes into words or back.

Gboard, Google’s phone keyboard, has a Morse layout for typing in dots and dashes, but it doesn’t read a message back to you. Paste the message into the translator above instead.

Can AI translate Morse code?

A chatbot can often get a short message right, but it writes an answer it predicts rather than looking each code up, so letters can slip in longer messages. Morse is a fixed table, so a table-based translator like this one gives the same exact answer every time. If you use a chatbot, paste its answer here to check it.

How do you say “Are you there?” in Morse code?

ARE YOU THERE? is .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / - .... . .-. . ..--.., ending on the question mark. Type any phrase into the translator to get its code and press Play to hear it at 18 WPM.

Is there an app that can decipher Morse code?

You don’t need to install one. This translator and its decoders work in any phone browser: paste dots and dashes, play a recording, point the microphone decoder at the sound or the Morse code light translator at a flashing lamp. You can add the site to your home screen to open it like an app.

Is Morse code the same in every language?

No. Languages written in Latin letters share International Morse and add their accented letters, such as Ñ --.-- in Spanish.

Russian, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic have their own tables built from the same dots and dashes, and Russian П is sent like P, .--. in both. Japanese uses the Wabun code and Korean the SKATS mapping. Pick the table above the box.

Is 143 “I love you” in Morse code?

No. 143 is a pager-era number code for I love you (1, 4 and 3 are the letters in each word), not Morse code.

In Morse, I love you is .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-, and the number 143 is .---- ....- ...--, three digits of five signals each. The I love you in Morse code page plays it and links to tools that flash it or make it into a bracelet, necklace or tattoo.

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