How do I translate text to Morse code?

Type your message in the text box. Each letter and number becomes dots and dashes; letters are separated by a space and words by a slash.

How do I translate Morse code to English?

Switch to Morse to Text and paste your dots and dashes, with one space between letters and a slash between words. The English appears as you type.

Why does my Morse code come out wrong or show a #?

Usually a missing space between letters, an extra space inside a letter, or a symbol that is not a dot or dash. Fix the spacing, replace look-alike symbols with . and -, and remove characters Morse does not define.

Can this translator decode audio from a microphone or file?

Yes — open the decoder page, allow the microphone or drop a clean tone recording; processing stays in your browser.

What do WPM and Farnsworth mean?

WPM is speed in words per minute. Farnsworth keeps each letter fast but lengthens the gaps between letters, which helps beginners hear letter shapes.

What is the difference between International and American Morse?

International Morse (ITU-R M.1677-1) is the standard used today for radio and this tool. American Morse is an older railroad-telegraph variant with different codes and spacing.

Can I play Morse as light or vibration?

Yes. Light mode flashes the screen and Vibrate uses your phone's haptics where supported. Avoid Light mode if you are sensitive to flashing.

Can I download the Morse audio?

Yes, as a WAV file at the speed and tone you set.

Is my text stored or sent anywhere?

No. Translation and audio run in your browser.

Free Morse Code Translator

International Morse · ITU timing · audio, Farnsworth, light, vibrate · no signup.

Enter Text 0 chars

Morse Code 0 signals

Speed 20

Tone 550Hz

Vol 80%

Farnsworth 15

Sound

CW Radio = sidetone beep used on HF. Telegraph = clicky sounder style. Pair with Farnsworth for learning. Light flashes the screen — skip if you are sensitive to flashing lights.

How to use this Morse code translator

1. Type English in the left box — Morse appears on the right (or paste Morse to auto-switch).
2. Or open Morse to Text and paste dots (.) and dashes (-).
3. Pick Learn (Farnsworth), QSO (20 WPM), or Slow (10).
4. Play audio, flash light, or vibrate on a phone.
5. Download WAV, copy a share link, or send a puzzle.

How to translate Morse code to English by hand

You do not need a computer to read Morse. Treat the signal as a stream of timed elements, then rebuild words from letters. International Morse is standardized in ITU-R M.1677-1; amateur practice guides such as the ARRL learning resources use the same timing.

Step by step

Split into words. Long pauses (about seven dot units) mark word boundaries. Shorter pauses (three units) separate letters.
Split each letter. Inside a letter, dots and dashes are separated by one unit gaps. A dash lasts three times as long as a dot.
Look up each pattern. Match the rhythm to the alphabet — E is one dot, T is one dash, A is dot-dash, and so on.
Read the word. String letters together. If a pattern is unknown, mark it and keep copying — context often clarifies it on the next pass.

Worked example: HELLO WORLD

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

Break at the slash: first group spells HELLO, second spells WORLD. Paste the line into Morse → Text above to check your work, then play audio at 15–20 WPM with Farnsworth gaps while you copy by ear.

Spacing and timing rules

Morse is a timing code. A dot is one unit, a dash is three units, the gap between parts of a letter is one unit, between letters three units, and between words seven units. Farnsworth spacing stretches only the letter and word gaps so you hear full-speed character shapes — a technique many instructors recommend for beginners.

Morse code timing diagram: a dot is 1 unit, a dash is 3 units, the gap between letters is 3 units and between words is 7 units

Why your Morse code translates wrong

Missing spaces between letters. ...---... without gaps is ambiguous — it might be SOS, or other valid splits. Add spaces: ... --- ....

Extra spaces inside a letter. . .- is not A; the translator reads two symbols. A is .- with no interior gap.

Look-alike symbols. Unicode middle dots (·), en dashes (–), and em dashes (—) are not Morse. Replace them with ASCII . and -.

Unsupported characters. Emoji and symbols outside the ITU table show as # in text → Morse mode so you know they were dropped. Remove them or rewrite the phrase.

Unspaced input. Decoders cannot guess your intent. When in doubt, type spaces explicitly or use the audio decoder on a clean recording, then edit the spacing it suggests.

Letters and numbers quick reference

Compact A–Z and 0–9 patterns for checking copy. For audio per letter and punctuation, use the interactive alphabet or download the printable reference on our Morse reference sheet (PDF and PNG).

Morse code letters A to Z and numbers 0 to 9 reference
Char	Morse	Char	Morse	Char	Morse	Char	Morse
	.-
	-...
	-.-.
	-..
	.
	..-.
	--.
	....
	..
	.---
	-.-
	.-..
	--
	-.
	---
	.--.
	--.-
	.-.
	...
	-
	..-
	...-
	.--
	-..-
	-.--
	--..
	-----
	.----
	..---
	...--
	....-
	.....
	-....
	--...
	---..
	----.

Speed, Farnsworth and tone

Words per minute (WPM) sets how long each dot lasts. At 20 WPM, operators send PARIS as the standard word length. Use the Learn preset for 20 WPM characters with 10 WPM Farnsworth gaps.

CW Radio uses a sine sidetone; Telegraph uses a square-wave click. Both follow the same timing. Match the tone to what your radio or study material uses (often 500–700 Hz).

When you outgrow presets, open Farnsworth spacing for a deeper explanation or practice modules with shareable URLs.

Light, vibration and audio download

Light mode flashes the screen in sync with the message — useful for visual practice or signaling across a room. Photosensitivity warning: if flashing lights trigger discomfort or seizures, avoid Light mode and use audio or vibration instead.

Vibration plays the pattern on supported phones. Download WAV to share a file offline at the WPM and tone you selected.

Directional pages: English to Morse · Morse to English · light Morse guide.

Translator vs decoder

This homepage is a morse code translator (typed text both ways, plus playback). A decoder often means turning radio audio into text — see Morse code decoder for typed and in-browser microphone/file decode. We do not claim satellite-grade signal processing; honest limits build trust.

Where Morse code is still used

Amateur radio CW on HF bands — daily contacts and contests.
Aviation and maritime navigation aids (identifier beacons), documented in ICAO/FAA training material.
Accessibility: Morse input on mobile keyboards for users who prefer dit/dah entry.
Military and emergency training as a backup when digital paths fail — see is Morse still used.
Education, museums, and escape-room puzzles — timing literacy still teaches signal processing thinking.

Background reading: Wikipedia · ITU recommendation · ARRL learning.

Common messages in Morse

Message	Morse
SOS	... --- ...
I love you	.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-
Hello	.... . .-.. .-.. ---
CQ	-.-. --.-
73	--... ...--
Name SAM	... .- --

40+ phrases with audio

FAQ

... --- .... Radio operators send it as one unbroken signal; when typing, keep spaces so it reads as three letters.

About this tool

Published by MorseCoder. Last updated: October 11, 2026. Timing follows ITU-R M.1677-1. Read more on About and the editorial policy.