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Morse Code Translator

Free, with no sign-up - and it all runs in your browser.

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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Morse code tools

Decoders, senders, trainers and games. 40 tools, all free, no sign-up, and each one runs in your browser.

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The Morse code alphabet at true timing

Each character is drawn to scale: a dash is three dots long and every gap is one dot. Select any character to hear it and see how it is timed.

See the full Morse code alphabet chart, with accented letters and signals

Morse code timing and the PARIS standard

Morse code is timed 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. Speed is counted in words per minute (WPM) using the standard word PARIS, which is exactly 50 units long. At 20 WPM you send PARIS 20 times a minute, so one unit lasts 60 milliseconds.

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 20 WPM
60 ms

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 trainer
  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

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the translator

Morse code is a way of encoding text as a sequence of dots and dashes - short and long signals that can be sent as sound, light, or written marks. Each letter, number, and punctuation mark has its own pattern; the letter E is a single dot, while the famous SOS distress signal is three dots, three dashes, three dots. It was developed in the 1830s and 1840s for the electric telegraph and is still used today in radio, signaling, and accessibility.

Type plain text and we instantly convert it to Morse code, or paste Morse (using dots, dashes, and spaces) and we decode it back to text. You can play the result as audio, flash it as light, copy it, or download it. Everything runs in your browser - it's free, instant, and needs no sign-up.

Read each group of dots and dashes as one character, with a short gap between letters and a longer gap between words. A dot is a short signal and a dash is about three times longer. Start with our alphabet chart to map the patterns, then practice by ear or by sight - most people learn the common letters and the SOS signal first.

Yes. The translator and every reference and learning page are completely free, with no account or sign-up required. We're independent and reader-supported - the site is funded by display ads and, secondarily, a small number of disclosed affiliate links - so the tool itself stays free for everyone.

Yes. After you convert text to Morse, you can play it as audio tones with adjustable speed (WPM), or flash it as light using the on-screen flasher - the same way Morse is signaled by buzzer or torch. You can also decode Morse from sound, and use our dedicated audio, light, and signaling tools.

Still have questions? Contact us