Morse Code Translator

What this tool does

Morse Code Translator converts letters, digits and punctuation to International Morse Code as defined in ITU-R M.1677-1, and decodes dots and dashes back to text. It can play the code through your speakers using standard PARIS timing and export it as a WAV audio file.

Morse code represents each character as a sequence of short and long signals. It is still used by amateur radio operators, in aviation and maritime navigation beacons, in accessibility devices and in countless puzzles. Reading it requires knowing the timing rules as well as the alphabet: a dash is three times as long as a dot, letters are separated by three units of silence, and words by seven.

This translator uses the International Morse Code alphabet from ITU-R M.1677-1, including digits, common punctuation such as the full stop (.-.-.-) and the @ sign (.--.-.), plus several accented letters. Letters are separated by a space and words by a slash. Decoding accepts dots and dashes, bullets, underscores and slashes, and the direction can be detected automatically. Playback uses the Web Audio API with the PARIS standard, where one dot lasts 1.2 ÷ WPM seconds, so 20 WPM means 60 ms per dot. The WAV export is rendered on your device.

How to use Morse Code Translator

1. Type text or paste Morse code into the “Text or Morse code” box, or click Sample.
2. Leave Direction on “Detect automatically” or force “Text to Morse” or “Morse to text”.
3. Choose the Symbols style: dot and hyphen, or bullet and minus for nicer printing.
4. Adjust Speed (WPM) and Tone (Hz) for audio playback.
5. Press “Play sound” to listen, or “Download WAV” to save the audio, and copy the translated text from the output.

Tips for better results

• Learners often practise with Farnsworth spacing: characters at 18-20 WPM with extra gaps between them. Start with a slower speed setting here.
• A tone between 550 and 750 Hz is comfortable for most listeners and is typical of radio receivers.
• SOS is sent as one continuous character (...---...) in real distress signalling, without letter gaps.
• Characters that have no Morse equivalent are listed in a warning instead of being silently dropped.

Common use cases

• Practising for an amateur radio licence or club Morse test.
• Decoding a navigation beacon identifier copied from an aviation chart.
• Creating audio clues for an escape room or treasure hunt.
• Making a Morse code bracelet, tattoo or engraving design from a name.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving out the spaces between letters when writing Morse, which makes “..” (I) indistinguishable from “. .” (EE).
• Using a full stop as the dot inside sentences that also contain real full stops; separate letters clearly or use the bullet style.
• Expecting lower and upper case to differ: Morse has no case, so decoded text is always shown in capitals.