Morse Code Translator
Turn text into Morse code or decode Morse back to text; direction is detected per line
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How it works
Write one item per line in the left panel: type SOS and ... --- ... appears on the right; paste -- --- .-. ... and you read MORS. With the direction set to automatic the tool inspects each line — only lines made of dots, dashes and slashes are treated as code. In written Morse, letters are separated by a single space and words by a slash (/); pasted code that uses long dashes (—) or middle dots (·) is accepted too. The table is the international (ITU) one: 26 base letters, all ten digits and common punctuation such as the period, comma and question mark. Accented letters like é or ñ are not in that table, so they are mapped to their base letter and the result line tells you which ones were converted. Characters with no Morse equivalent are skipped and listed in the result line as well.
This tool is also known as morse code translator, text to morse code, morse code decoder, sos in morse code, morse code alphabet, morse to text.
What is Morse code?
A signalling system that represents letters, digits and punctuation as sequences of short signals (dots) and long signals (dashes). Developed in the 1830s for the telegraph, it can be sent by light, sound or radio, which kept it in use at sea and in amateur radio long after the telegraph disappeared. Its best-known sequence is the SOS distress call: three short, three long, three short.
What is International Morse (ITU)?
The standard table in use today, defined in ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1. It contains the 26 base Latin letters, the digits 0-9 and a limited set of punctuation marks; accented letters are not part of the standard. This translator follows that table and substitutes the base letter for anything outside it, reporting each substitution in the result line.
The accented-letter trap: why é becomes E and never comes back
The international Morse table defined in ITU-R M.1677-1 covers the 26 base Latin letters, the digits 0-9 and a short list of punctuation marks. Accented letters such as é, ñ or ü are not part of it; various national telegraph traditions added their own codes, but most decoders do not recognize those extensions. Rather than inventing codes, this tool does what radio operators do in practice: it maps each accented letter to its base letter and lists the substitutions in the result line.
That mapping is one-way. Encode CAFÉ and decode it back and you get CAFE — the code carries no trace of the accent. If the text you are converting is case- or accent-sensitive, such as a name or a password, check the decoded output with that in mind. Case is not preserved either: Morse has no upper or lower case, and decoded text always comes out in capitals.
How to read the code: separators, timing and practical use
Every letter is a sequence of dots (short signals) and dashes (long signals). In written form, letters are separated by one space and words by a slash — this tool follows the same convention. When sending by sound or light, the dot is the unit of time: a dash lasts three dots, the gap between letters is three units and the gap between words is seven. Keeping those ratios is the only way a listener can tell A (.-) apart from E followed by T (. -).
- Flashlight or buzzer messages: short flash for a dot, long flash for a dash, a clear pause between words
- Homework and puzzle solving: paste the code as is; a / marks the end of a word
- Geocaching and escape rooms: clues written with — and · are accepted directly
- Unknown sequences: decode first and look for # — it marks a code that is not in the table
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
Three short, three long, three short: ... --- ... As a distress signal it is transmitted as one continuous sequence without letter gaps; this tool encodes letter by letter, so the output shows the gaps as spaces.
What does the / in Morse code mean?
It marks the end of a word. Letters are separated by single spaces, words by a slash: .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. decodes to HELLO WORLD. The tool also accepts | as a word separator.
Does upper or lower case matter?
No. Morse code has no case: sos and SOS produce the same code. Decoded text is always returned in capital letters.
Are accented letters like é or ñ supported?
They are converted to their base letter (é → E, ñ → N) because the international table does not include them. The result line lists every substitution, and the change cannot be reversed when decoding.