Morse Code Translator
Type text to get Morse code, or paste dots and dashes to decode them — the direction is detected automatically.
How Morse code is written
Each letter is a short pattern of dots (·) and dashes (–). Letters are separated by a space and words by /. The most famous sequence, SOS, is ... --- ... — chosen because it's unmistakable, not as an abbreviation.
Quick reference
| Letter | Code | Letter | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | . | T | - |
| A | .- | N | -. |
| S | ... | O | --- |
| H | .... | M | -- |
Frequently asked questions
Why are common letters so short?
Samuel Morse's collaborator Alfred Vail counted the letters in a printer's type cases: E (the most common English letter) got a single dot, T a single dash, while rare letters like Q got long codes. It's data compression from the 1830s.
Is Morse code still used?
Yes — amateur (ham) radio operators use it daily, aviation beacons identify themselves in Morse, and it remains a backup for people who can communicate only by blinking or tapping.
Last updated: 2026-07-13