Morse Code Translator: Text to Morse and Morse to Text, with Timing
Translate text into International Morse code or decode dots and dashes back to text. Handles letters, digits, punctuation, accented letters and prosigns, counts dots, dashes and timing units, and shows how long the message takes to send at any WPM, with Farnsworth spacing.
How it works
Each character = its fixed pattern of dots and dashes · dot = 1 unit, dash = 3, gap inside a letter = 1, between letters = 3, between words = 7 · written as a space between letters and "/" between words · dot length (ms) = 1,200 ÷ WPM (PARIS = 50 units) · Farnsworth: extra gap time per word tₐ = (60c − 37.2s) ÷ (c × s) s, letter gap = 3tₐ ÷ 19, word gap = 7tₐ ÷ 19
Morse code represents each letter, digit and a set of punctuation marks as a short sequence of dots (dits) and dashes (dahs), arranged so that common letters are short: E is a single dot and T a single dash. Timing carries the structure. A dot is one unit, a dash three, the gap between the parts of a letter one unit, between letters three and between words seven. In writing, that becomes one space between letters and a slash between words, which is the convention this translator reads and writes. When decoding, it also accepts · for dots, _ or − for dashes, | or three spaces between words, and shows any group that matches no character as #. The character set follows the ITU standard (letters, digits, . , ? ' / ( ) : = + - " @ and É) plus five widely used non-ITU signs (! & ; _ $). Accented letters are normally sent as plain letters, but you can switch to the extended codes used in some languages, such as Ñ (--.--), Ü (..--) and Ä (.-.-). Write prosigns in angle brackets, for example <SK> or <AR>, to send them as one run with no letter gap. Speed is measured in words per minute with the standard word PARIS, which is exactly 50 units long, so one unit lasts 1,200 ÷ WPM milliseconds: 60 ms at 20 WPM. The calculator counts the units in your message and gives the sending time. Farnsworth timing, used by many learners, keeps letters at the character speed but stretches the gaps so the overall speed is slower.
Worked example
“SOS” encodes letter by letter: S = ..., O = ---, S = ..., giving “... --- ...”. It has 6 dots and 3 dashes. In units: S = 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 gaps = 5, O = 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 11, S = 5, plus two letter gaps of 3, which is 27 units. At 20 WPM one unit is 1,200 ÷ 20 = 60 ms, so SOS takes 27 × 60 = 1.62 seconds to send. Decoding “... --- ...” returns SOS.
Sources: ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1: International Morse code (characters and spacing) · Morse Code World: Farnsworth timing (gap formula, 20/10 WPM example) · Morse code, Wikipedia (ITU character set, PARIS timing, extensions, prosigns) · Morse Code World: translator (input conventions, Farnsworth speed)
Frequently asked questions
Why is SOS written "... --- ..."?
S is three dots and O is three dashes, so SOS is dot-dot-dot dash-dash-dash dot-dot-dot. It was chosen as the distress signal because that pattern is simple and unmistakable; “save our ship” is a later backronym. Operators actually send it as one continuous prosign with no letter gaps.
What do the spaces and slashes mean?
A single space separates letters within a word and “/” marks the gap between words. This mirrors Morse timing, where letters are separated by three units of silence and words by seven.
How fast is Morse code?
Speed is given in words per minute using the 50-unit word PARIS. One unit lasts 1,200 ÷ WPM ms, so 20 WPM means 60 ms dots and 180 ms dashes. Beginners often start at 5–10 WPM; experienced operators send at 25–40 WPM.
What is Farnsworth timing?
A method where letters are sent at a higher character speed (say 18 WPM) while the gaps between letters and words are stretched to give a slower overall speed (say 10 WPM). It helps learners hear each letter as a whole sound rather than counting dots.
Can Morse code send accented letters like ñ or é?
International Morse only defines É (..-..). In practice accented letters are sent as plain letters, which this translator does by default. Some languages use extra codes, such as Ñ = --.-- and Ü = ..--, which you can switch on under More options.
Which characters can it translate?
All 26 letters, the digits 0–9, the ITU punctuation marks . , ? ' / ( ) : = + - " @, the common non-ITU signs ! & ; _ $, accented letters and prosigns written in angle brackets like <SK>. Anything else is skipped and listed.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.