Morse Code

What is Morse code?

Morse code is a communication system that encodes text characters as sequences of dots (short signals) and dashes (long signals). Developed by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail in the 1830s for use with the telegraph, it was the primary method of long-distance communication before the telephone. Each letter, number, and some punctuation marks have a unique pattern.

This tool converts text to Morse code and Morse code to text. It displays the dot-dash patterns and can play audio representations. Morse code is still used today by amateur radio operators (hams), in aviation and maritime emergencies, and as an accessibility tool for people with limited mobility who can communicate using simple binary inputs.

How to use this tool

Type text to see it converted to Morse code (dots and dashes) instantly. Paste Morse code using dots (.) and dashes (-) with spaces between letters and slashes between words to decode it back to text. The tool supports letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, and common punctuation.

The Morse code alphabet

• A: .- | B: -... | C: -.-. | D: -.. | E: . (the shortest code, for the most common English letter).
• S: ... | O: --- | Together they form SOS (...---...), the universal distress signal.
• Numbers use five symbols each: 1 is .---- and 0 is -----.
• A dash is three times the length of a dot. Spacing between letters is three dot-lengths. Spacing between words is seven dot-lengths.

History and legacy

The first telegraph message ('What hath God wrought') was sent by Samuel Morse in 1844 between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Morse code transformed global communication, enabling instant long-distance messaging for the first time. It played crucial roles in both World Wars, maritime safety (the Titanic's distress calls were in Morse code), and aviation. While largely replaced by digital communication, Morse code remains part of amateur radio licensing requirements worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

What does SOS stand for?

SOS does not actually stand for anything — it was chosen as the international distress signal in 1906 because its Morse code pattern (...---...) is easy to send, recognize, and distinguish from other signals. The popular interpretations 'Save Our Souls' and 'Save Our Ship' are backronyms invented after the signal was adopted.

How fast can Morse code be transmitted?

Skilled operators can send and receive 20-30 words per minute (WPM). The world record for Morse code reception is over 75 WPM. At standard 13 WPM, the word 'PARIS' takes exactly 1 minute to send (this is the calibration standard). Automated transmission can be much faster, but human reception becomes unreliable above 40 WPM for most operators.