Check a handwritten message
Enter separated dot-and-dash groups and verify each character. Keep a screenshot or the original source if ambiguous spacing matters.
English to Morse, Morse to English
Translate text to Morse code or decode Morse code to text
Choose the direction, enter a message within the limit shown by the workspace, and copy or play the result. The decoder expects a space between letters and a spaced slash between words rather than trying to solve an unspaced signal stream.
Loading the Morse code translator…
Enable JavaScript to translate and copy a message. The International Morse table, spacing rules, examples, and limitations remain readable below.
Two directions, one translator
How to translate English to Morse code and Morse code to text
English to Morse code
- Select Text → Morse in the translator.
- Replace the sample with your message. For example,
HELLObecomes.... . .-.. .-.. ---. - Copy the output, or play it as sound. Spaces separate letters and
/separates words.
Morse code to text
- Select Morse → Text.
- Paste dots and dashes with a space between each letter. For example,
... --- ...decodes toSOS. - Read the decoded text and any warnings. Check an unknown group against the Morse code alphabet chart.
Why does spacing matter? ... is S, but . . . is EEE. Keep letter boundaries when copying a message. This decoder reads written dots and dashes; it does not transcribe an audio recording or identify letters from an unspaced signal.
Common lookups
Common words and letters in Morse code
Looking for one word or letter “in Morse code”? These are the most requested translations, written the same way the translator writes them: a space between letters and a spaced slash between words.
TextMorse codeNote
SOS
... --- ...The distress signal; in real signalling it is sent as one unbroken group.HELLO
.... . .-.. .-.. ---Five letters, five groups.HELP
.... . .-.. .--.Not a formal distress signal; SOS is.YES
-.-- . ...Y is four signals; E is the single dot.NO
-. ---N is dash-dot; O is three dashes.STAY
... - .- -.--S, T, A, Y as four separate groups.MESSAGE
-- . ... ... .- --. .Seven letters, with repeated S and E groups kept separate.TEXT
- . -..- -T, E, X, T; X is dash-dot-dot-dash.I LOVE YOU
.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-The spaced slash marks each word break.A
.-Dot-dash. The letter N is the reverse, -. I
..Two dots. Three dots is S; one dot is E.D
-..Dash-dot-dot. The reverse, ..-, is U.X
-..-Also used for the multiplication sign, so the decoder shows a warning.Slash /
-..-.The punctuation mark. A slash with spaces around it is a word separator instead.Period . and question mark ?
.-.-.- · ..--..Six-signal punctuation groups from the ITU table.The Morse code alphabet page lists every letter, number, punctuation mark, and common word with its own anchor. Type any other word or sentence into the translator above to get the same notation. The code is sometimes misspelled “Morris code”; it is named after Samuel Morse, and the modern International Morse alphabet is defined by the ITU.
One character at a time
Every letter and number in Morse code
Each entry answers the question “what is this letter in Morse code?” with the International Morse group. Write letters with a space between them and separate words with a spaced slash.
- A in Morse code is
.- - B in Morse code is
-... - C in Morse code is
-.-. - D in Morse code is
-.. - E in Morse code is
. - F in Morse code is
..-. - G in Morse code is
--. - H in Morse code is
.... - I in Morse code is
.. - J in Morse code is
.--- - K in Morse code is
-.- - L in Morse code is
.-.. - M in Morse code is
-- - N in Morse code is
-. - O in Morse code is
--- - P in Morse code is
.--. - Q in Morse code is
--.- - R in Morse code is
.-. - S in Morse code is
... - T in Morse code is
- - U in Morse code is
..- - V in Morse code is
...- - W in Morse code is
.-- - X in Morse code is
-..- - Y in Morse code is
-.-- - Z in Morse code is
--.. - 1 in Morse code is
.---- - 2 in Morse code is
..--- - 3 in Morse code is
...-- - 4 in Morse code is
....- - 5 in Morse code is
..... - 6 in Morse code is
-.... - 7 in Morse code is
--... - 8 in Morse code is
---.. - 9 in Morse code is
----. - 0 in Morse code is
-----
A character code with timing
How a text-to-Morse translator works
International Morse code assigns a sequence of short and long signals to each supported written character. In plain text, a dot represents a short signal and a dash represents a long signal. The letter A is .-, N is -., and the digit 5 is ...... Encoding is therefore a table lookup, not a language translation or an encryption step.
Boundaries carry information that dots and dashes alone cannot express. The signals inside one letter are separated by a one-dot interval, letters by a three-dot interval, and words by a seven-dot interval. A typed representation cannot make listeners hear those intervals, so it uses visible separators: spaces between character groups and a distinct word delimiter between words.
The normative reference is Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1, International Morse code. Its scope is the defined characters and operational provisions used in radiocommunication services. It does not standardize every punctuation sequence circulated in software libraries or online charts.
- Dot
- One signal-time unit.
- Dash
- Three signal-time units.
- Inside a character
- One unit of silence between dots and dashes.
- Between characters
- Three units of silence.
- Between words
- Seven units of silence.
Open the complete International Morse code chart and spacing guide →
Quick reference
International Morse code letters and numbers
These groups cover the basic Latin alphabet and decimal digits. Keep each group intact when decoding; a space below means “next character,” not a timed signal inside the character.
RangeCharactersMorse code groups
A–FA · B · C · D · E · F
.- · -... · -.-. · -.. · . · ..-.G–LG · H · I · J · K · L
--. · .... · .. · .--- · -.- · .-..M–RM · N · O · P · Q · R
-- · -. · --- · .--. · --.- · .-.S–XS · T · U · V · W · X
... · - · ..- · ...- · .-- · -..-Y–ZY · Z
-.-- · --..1–51 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5
.---- · ..--- · ...-- · ....- · .....6–06 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 0
-.... · --... · ---.. · ----. · -----The complete guide adds the ITU punctuation characters, accented E, miscellaneous operational signals, and the important distinction between the fraction-bar character -..-. and a slash used visually as a word separator.
Segmentation is required
Why a Morse code decoder needs spaces
A lookup table can decode .... . .-.. .-.. --- as HELLO because every space identifies the end of a character. Remove those spaces and ......-...-..--- can be divided in many ways. No decoder can recover the author's intended grouping from the two signal symbols alone.
That ambiguity is not a flaw in live Morse reception: timing supplies the missing boundaries. A listener distinguishes the one-unit gaps inside a character from the three-unit gaps between characters and the seven-unit gaps between words. A text field has no elapsed time, so separators must stand in for those different silences.
This decoder treats unknown sequences, unsupported characters, and malformed separators as information to report. It does not silently drop an undecodable group or fabricate a likely sentence from context. Because -..- represents both X and the multiplication sign, this interface returns X while keeping an ambiguity warning visible; it cannot infer the sender's intended character. If a source removed all spacing, obtain the original timing data or add boundaries manually before treating a decoded message as reliable.
Example with two boundary levels
.... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. represents HELLO WORLD when spaces separate letters and the standalone slash separates words.
Report, do not invent
Unsupported symbols, extensions, and common misconceptions
Input or claimWhy it needs careReliable treatment
Emoji or most scriptsInternational Morse does not assign a sequence to every Unicode character.Report the unsupported source position; do not erase or romanize it silently.
Popular punctuation extensionsOnline charts may add sequences that are absent from the current ITU table.Name the repertoire used by both sender and receiver before exchanging them.
Unspaced signal streamDots and dashes do not uniquely identify character boundaries.Supply explicit groups or preserve the original timing rather than guessing a phrase.
“Binary message”Morse also depends on at least three different gap lengths.Preserve signals and timing; do not equate dot and dash directly with bits 0 and 1.
“Encrypted text”The mapping is public and reversible without a secret key.Treat Morse as an encoding. Use established cryptography when secrecy is required.
Useful for explicit text notation
When to use this Morse code translator
Prepare a learning exercise
Encode a short word, compare it with the chart, and practice grouping signals by character before working with live timing.
Decode a puzzle clue
Translate a deliberately formatted clue without sending its contents to an external conversion endpoint.
Document a test case
Copy a deterministic text representation with explicit character and word separators for a parser, lesson, or regression test.
The interactive workspace can play manually triggered synthesized tones for a valid written result, with adjustable speed and pitch, or flash the same timing as a light on screen so you can practice reading Morse by eye. It does not record microphone input, identify tones in an audio file, monitor a radio signal, train copying speed, or replace licensed emergency and radio operating procedures.
Local conversion, bounded work
Translate a copied message in the current browser tab
Encoding, decoding, validation, and copying run in the current browser tab. LiveParse does not intentionally upload the entered message to a Morse conversion service, retain a translation history, or use the content to infer a language. A visible input limit keeps conversion and rendering responsive.
Morse notation is not a privacy layer. Anyone who can access the dots, dashes, and separators can decode supported characters. Remove credentials, private keys, personal data, and unreleased information before pasting a result into an issue, chat, document, or prompt.
Browser extensions, operating-system clipboard history, shared devices, and any destination where you paste the result remain outside this page. See the LiveParse privacy explanation for the site's processing boundary.
Need the normative character list?
The guide separates the symbols printed in ITU-R M.1677-1 from conventions often added by software and hobby references.
Read the International Morse code guide →Morse code translator questions
Morse code translator FAQ
How do I translate English to Morse code?
Set the direction to text to Morse, type the English message, and the translator outputs one dot-and-dash group per letter, digit, or punctuation mark. Letters are separated by spaces and words by a spaced slash, so the result can be copied and decoded again without guessing.
How do I translate Morse code to English text?
Set the direction to Morse to text, paste the dots and dashes with a space between each letter and a spaced slash between words, and the decoder returns the text. Unknown groups are reported at their position instead of being dropped.
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is ... --- ...: three dots, three dashes, three dots. In real signalling it is sent as one continuous group without letter gaps, which is why it is so easy to recognize. The translator writes it with spaces so each letter stays visible.
Can it decode Morse code without spaces?
No decoder can do that reliably. A stream such as ......-...-..--- can be split into many different letter sequences, so the boundaries must come from the spacing or from the original timing. Add a space between letters and a spaced slash between words, then decode.
Does the translator handle numbers and punctuation?
Yes. Digits 0 to 9 use the five-signal groups shown in the chart, and the ITU punctuation marks such as period .-.-.-, comma --..--, question mark ..--.., and slash -..-. are supported. Characters outside International Morse are reported rather than silently removed.
Can I hear the Morse code or flash it as a light?
Yes. After translating, use Play tone to hear synthesized tones or Flash light to blink an on-screen light panel with the same timing, both at an adjustable speed. The sound and light are generated in the browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded.
Is Morse code binary or encryption?
No. Morse uses short and long signals plus meaningful gaps, so it cannot be reduced to two symbols without also preserving timing or separators. It is a public character code, not encryption, and anyone who knows the code can read the message.
Is my text or Morse code uploaded?
No. Translation and validation run in the current browser tab without intentionally sending the entered message to a conversion service. The bounded input limit protects responsiveness; browser extensions, clipboard managers, and anything you do with a copied result remain separate boundaries.