Wabun Code Translator
Turn Japanese kana into Wabun code, the Japanese Morse code, or paste Wabun dots and dashes to read the kana. Free, with no sign-up.
Try an example:
Each letter shows here with its dots and dashes. Select one to play from it.
New to Wabun? Read the guide to Japanese Morse code, with its history and the full chart in iroha order.
How to use
Type or paste kana into the box, in hiragana or katakana, or tap one of the examples under it.
Read the Wabun code as you type: one space between kana, a slash between words.
Turn on Letter by letter to see each kana over its code. A voiced kana such as が shows as two codes, カ and ゛.
To read Wabun instead, press Swap direction and paste the dots and dashes.
Press Play to hear it, or copy it, share it as a link, or download it as MP3, WAV or text.
What it does
A Wabun code translator that works both ways on the Japanese table:
Hiragana or katakana. Both give the same code: こんにちは and コンニチハ are each
---- .-.-. -.-. ..-. -....Voiced kana the Wabun way. が, ぱ and the other voiced and p-sound kana go as the base kana plus ゛ or ゜.
Small kana full size. ゃ, ゅ, ょ and っ are sent as ヤ, ユ, ヨ and ツ.
Marks and numbers. The long-vowel mark ー, the Japanese comma 、 and full stop 。, and the digits 0 to 9.
Reading back. Decoding joins ゛ and ゜ back onto the kana before them and returns katakana.
The rest of the translator comes too: sound, light or vibration, 5 to 40 words per minute, Farnsworth spacing, and a share link that keeps the Japanese table.
How it works
The codes come from Japan’s own table, set out in Table 1 of the Radio Station Operation Regulations (無線局運用規則 別表第1号): 48 kana, ゛ .., ゜ ..--., ー .--.-, 、 .-.-.- and 。 .-.-... The timing is the one ITU-R M.1677-1 sets for International Morse: a dash is three dots long, with gaps of one dot inside a kana, three between kana and seven between words.
Wabun has a code for each basic kana, not for each sound, so three rules do the rest:
- Voiced sounds take a second code. ガ is カ then ゛:
.-.. ... パ is ハ then ゜:-... ..--.. - Small kana go full size. っ is sent as ツ,
.--., so がっこう is.-.. .. .--. ---- ..-. - Kanji are sent by their reading. 東京 has no code; type とうきょう and get
..-.. ..- -.-.. -- ..-.
Examples
Real output from this translator. A unit is one dot; times are at 20 words per minute.
| Word | Sent as | Wabun code | Units | At 20 WPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| さようなら (goodbye) | サ ヨ ウ ナ ラ | -.-.- -- ..- .-. ... | 53 | 3.2 s |
| おはよう (good morning) | オ ハ ヨ ウ | .-... -... -- ..- | 43 | 2.6 s |
| だいすき (I love it) | タ ゛ イ ス キ | -. .. .- ---.- -.-.. | 55 | 3.3 s |
| ともだち (friend) | ト モ タ ゛ チ | ..-.. -..-. -. .. ..-. | 53 | 3.2 s |
| ねこ (cat) | ネ コ | --.- ---- | 31 | 1.9 s |
| しんぶん (newspaper) | シ ン フ ゛ ン | --.-. .-.-. --.. .. .-.-. | 67 | 4.0 s |
| がんばって (good luck) | カ ゛ ン ハ ゛ ツ テ | .-.. .. .-.-. -... .. .--. .-.-- | 81 | 4.9 s |
| おめでとう (congratulations) | オ メ テ ゛ ト ウ | .-... -...- .-.-- .. ..-.. ..- | 75 | 4.5 s |
Reading it back:
| Wabun code | Decodes to | Note |
|---|---|---|
.-.. .. .--. ---- ..- | ガツコウ | がっこう (school): the small っ comes back full size |
-.- --.. .. .-.-. | ワブン | Wabun: フ and ゛ join into ブ |
Wabun code chart
- イi.-
- ロro.-.-
- ハha-...
- ニni-.-.
- ホho-..
- ヘhe.
- トto..-..
- チchi..-.
- リri--.
- ヌnu....
- ルru-.--.
- ヲwo.---
- ワwa-.-
- カka.-..
- ヨyo--
- タta-.
- レre---
- ソso---.
- ツtsu.--.
- ネne--.-
- ナna.-.
- ラra...
- ムmu-
- ウu..-
- ヰwi.-..-
- ノno..--
- オo.-...
- クku...-
- ヤya.--
- マma-..-
- ケke-.--
- フfu--..
- コko----
- エe-.---
- テte.-.--
- アa--.--
- サsa-.-.-
- キki-.-..
- ユyu-..--
- メme-...-
- ミmi..-.-
- シshi--.-.
- ヱwe.--..
- ヒhi--..-
- モmo-..-.
- セse.---.
- スsu---.-
- ンn.-.-.
- ゛voicing mark..
- ゜p-sound mark..--.
- ーlong vowel.--.-
- 、comma.-.-.-
- 。full stop.-.-..
The digits 0 to 9 use the same codes as International Morse. Why the kana run イ, ロ, ハ instead of ア, イ, ウ is explained in the guide to Japanese Morse code.
Related tools
- Morse code translatorall 8 code tables, both directions
- Japanese Morse codethe guide: the full chart, history and the DO and SN signals
- Morse code to Englishdecode International Morse
- English to Morse code translatorEnglish words and sentences into Morse
- American Morse codeanother national code, with different letters
- Morse code phrasescommon phrases ready to play
Trust and limits
Maintained by Translate Morse Code (independent site). The Wabun table is checked by the site’s test suite: all 48 kana have a code, hiragana gives the same code as katakana, and voiced kana split into the base kana and ゛ or ゜ and join again when decoding. Every code on this page was produced by the translator itself.
The translator runs in your browser: the code, the sound and the files are made on your device, and the message is never stored. Your speed and tone settings are saved on this device only. This page opens on the Japanese (Wabun) table for this visit; the table you picked elsewhere stays saved.
Limits: kana, ー, 、, 。 and the digits only. Kanji, romaji, the Wabun bracket codes and the DO and SN signals are not in this table; pasted as Morse, codes it lacks show as ?. Decoding returns katakana, with small kana at full size. Last updated October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
About the Wabun code translator
Is Wabun code the same as Morse code?
Wabun code is the Japanese form of Morse code (和文モールス符号). It uses the same dots, dashes and timing as International Morse, but each pattern stands for a kana instead of a Latin letter. A single dot is ヘ, not E, and .- is イ, not A. So the same signal reads differently depending on the table, which is why this page opens on the Japanese one.
How do you say I love you in Wabun code?
あいしてる (aishiteru) is --.-- .- --.-. .-.-- -.--. in Wabun code: ア, イ, シ, テ, ル. It is 79 units long, about 4.7 seconds at 20 words per minute. Tap あいしてる under the box to hear it. In International Morse, "I love you" is .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-, and more are on Morse code phrases.
Can I type kanji or romaji?
No. Wabun has codes for kana only, so kanji and Latin letters are left out, and the line under the box names them. Type the reading in kana instead: とうきょう for 東京. A Japanese keyboard on your phone or computer types hiragana as you spell the sound, or you can paste kana from anywhere.
Why does SOS read as ラレラ?
In the Japanese table, ... --- ... is ラ, レ, ラ, because ... is ラ and --- is レ. The dots and dashes don’t say which table they come from, so a message decodes only when the table matches. If Wabun you copied reads as nonsense, check that the Code table says Japanese (Wabun), and remember the result comes back in katakana.
Can I mix Wabun and English in one message?
Not in one pass: the translator reads with one code table at a time. Radio operators switch with two signals, DO to start Wabun and SN to go back, but they are not in this table. Translate the English part in the Morse code translator on the International table, where <DO> and <SN> can be typed.