Morse code translator

How it works

International Morse code represents characters with short signals called dots and longer signals called dashes. The pattern for A is dot-dash, B is dash-dot-dot-dot, and the digits use five signals each. This translator follows the common ITU international table for A–Z, 0–9, and frequently used punctuation.

When encoding, each character becomes one Morse sequence. A single space separates letters and a forward slash separates words, producing an unambiguous text form such as .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -... The visual dots and dashes are copied exactly as shown.

When decoding, enter dots, dashes, spaces, and forward slashes only. Put one or more spaces between letter sequences and a slash between words. The decoder checks every sequence and reports the first unknown pattern instead of silently dropping it. That makes spacing mistakes easier to locate.

The audio control uses the Web Audio API and a 600 hertz tone. A dash lasts three dot units. Gaps distinguish parts of a letter, complete letters, and complete words. Playback is synthesized locally after you press the button; the page does not upload text or request an audio file.

Worked example

Encode HELLO one character at a time with the international Morse table. Keep one space between the five letter sequences.

1. Look up each character: Find H, E, L, L, and O in the international Morse table.
2. Write the signals: Use .... for H, . for E, .-.. for L, and --- for O.
3. Separate the letters: Place one space between each complete Morse sequence.
4. Read or play the result: The final text is .... . .-.. .-.. ---, which the audio button plays at 600 hertz.

Joining the sequences with letter spaces gives .... . .-.. .-.. ---. Add / before another word. Decoding those five groups returns HELLO.

History and origin

Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail developed an electrical telegraph system in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s. Early American code included patterns and timing conventions that differed from the international system used today. Operators learned to recognize signal rhythms by sound as messages moved across telegraph wires.

A revised international alphabet emerged in Europe and became the standard for maritime, military, aviation, amateur-radio, and emergency communication. The distress signal SOS was chosen for its simple rhythm—three dots, three dashes, three dots—not because the letters originally abbreviated a phrase. Radio services still use Morse in specialized situations and for identification.

How to break it

Morse code is an encoding, not secure encryption. Anyone who knows the public table can translate it character by character. Spaces expose letter and word boundaries, while sound preserves the same timing boundaries. Removing spaces creates ambiguity but does not create dependable secrecy.

An analyst can identify Morse quickly because its written character set is unusually small: dots, dashes, spaces, and slashes. Common patterns such as a single dot for E, a single dash for T, and three-dot three-dash three-dot for SOS provide immediate confirmation. Audio can be transcribed by measuring short and long tones.

Use Morse for communication practice, radio study, accessibility experiments, games, and puzzles. Do not use it for passwords or confidential information. If a message requires real protection, use a reviewed modern encryption system rather than hiding ordinary text behind a public signal alphabet.

Related ciphers

• The cipher identifier recognizes text made only from Morse dots, dashes, spaces, and word separators.
• A Polybius square also turns letters into small symbolic coordinates, but uses row and column digits instead of timed signals.
• ROT13 is another reversible text transformation, although it substitutes letters rather than signal patterns.
• The cipher directory groups Morse with adjacent historical encodings and classical ciphers.

Frequently asked questions

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