Dots, dashes, and a communication system that’s nearly 200 years old
Morse code has been around since the 1830s, and it’s still in use today, ham radio operators, aviation, emergency signaling, even the occasional escape room puzzle. This tool translates plain text to International Morse Code and back. Supports A-Z, 0-9, and common punctuation.
“SOS” is ... --- ..., probably the most famous Morse sequence in history. Type anything in and you’ll see it converted instantly.
What it handles
- Text to Morse and Morse to Text, both directions
- Full English alphabet (A-Z), digits 0-9, and punctuation like periods, commas, question marks
- Standard notation: dots (.) and dashes (-), spaces between letters, forward slashes (/) between words
- Results appear immediately
- Your text stays in your browser
Using the translator
Pick your mode, Text to Morse or Morse to Text. Type or paste your input. Hit Convert.
For text input, just type normally. “HELLO” becomes .... . .-.. .-.. ---.
For Morse input, separate letters with spaces and words with /. So .... .. / - .... . .-. . decodes to “HI THERE”.
Who actually uses Morse code in 2026?
Ham radio enthusiasts: CW (continuous wave) communication is still a thing, and some operators prefer it. It punches through noise better than voice in certain conditions.
Emergency situations: SOS is universal. Knowing those three letters in Morse (... --- ...) could genuinely matter someday. You can tap it, flash it, or signal it.
Teachers and educators: Morse code is a fantastic way to teach encoding concepts. Kids get it immediately, and it connects to real history.
Puzzle designers: escape rooms, scavenger hunts, ARG games. Encoding a clue in Morse code adds a layer of challenge without being impossibly hard.
People who are just curious: honestly, there’s something satisfying about converting your name to dots and dashes. Try it.
If you’re interested in other encoding systems, check out ROT13 for a simple letter cipher or the Binary Text converter for base-2 representation.
Quick reference for hand-writing Morse: a dash is three times the length of a dot. One dot-length of silence between parts of the same letter. Three dot-lengths between letters. Seven between words.
FAQ
How are words separated?
Letters are separated by spaces, words by forward slashes (/). “HI THERE” becomes .... .. / - .... . .-. .
Does it do numbers?
Yes. Each digit 0-9 has its own Morse pattern. “1” is .----, “0” is -----. The patterns follow a logical sequence that makes them easier to memorize than letters.
Can I hear the Morse code?
This tool is text-only, no audio playback. You could try the Text to Speech tool for a rough workaround, but dedicated Morse audio tools will sound more authentic.
International vs American Morse, what’s the difference?
This uses International Morse Code, the universal standard. American Morse Code was used in early US telegraphy and has different encodings for some characters. It’s essentially obsolete now.
Privacy?
All conversion runs in your browser. Nothing gets sent out.