Morse Code Translator
Convert text into International Morse code.
Convert text into International Morse code — dots, dashes and slashes. Useful for learning Morse, puzzles, games and amateur-radio practice.
Formula / method
Examples
... --- ...
.... . .-.. .-.. ---
Dots, dashes and spacing
Morse code represents each letter and digit as a pattern of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes). This tool converts your text into International Morse, the standard used worldwide, so 'SOS' becomes three dots, three dashes, three dots.
Timing and spacing matter: letters are separated by a short gap and words by a longer one, which the converter shows with spaces and slashes so the message stays unambiguous when read or transmitted.
Uses and what it can carry
Morse was the backbone of early telegraph and radio communication and is still used in aviation navigation beacons, amateur radio and as an accessible input method. Its most famous sequence, SOS, was chosen because its rhythm is simple and hard to mistake.
International Morse covers the 26 Latin letters, the digits 0 to 9 and common punctuation. It has no case, so uppercase and lowercase produce the same code. For a purely digital representation of text instead, see the Text to Binary tool.
Where it's used
- Learning Morse code for amateur (ham) radio practice and licensing
- Signalling with a flashlight, whistle, or tapping in an emergency
- Building puzzles and clues for escape rooms and treasure hunts
- Decoding Morse that appears in films, video games, and geocaches
- Novelty engraving and jewelry that spells out a hidden message
Real-world examples
- 'SOS' converts to ... --- ..., the internationally recognized distress signal.
- 'HELLO' becomes .... . .-.. .-.. ---.
- A phrase like 'HI THERE' uses a slash to mark the gap between the two words.
A bit of history
The original telegraph code was developed in the 1830s and 1840s by Samuel Morse together with Alfred Vail. The International Morse Code used worldwide today derives from a simplified version created by Friedrich Clemens Gerke in 1848 and standardized in 1865.
Did you know?
SOS was chosen because its pattern of three dots, three dashes, three dots is simple and hard to mistake, not because it stands for Save Our Souls. It was adopted at the 1906 Berlin radiotelegraph conference and took effect in 1908.
FAQ
How are word gaps shown?
Letters are separated by a space and words by a forward slash (/), a common way to write Morse in plain text.