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Translating Morse Code

August 15, 2026

Invented in the 1830s by Samuel Morse for the electrical telegraph, Morse code is a method of transmitting text using sequences of two different signal durations: dots (short) and dashes (long).

How it Works

Every letter of the alphabet and number from 0-9 is assigned a unique sequence.

A is . -
B is - . . .
S is . . .
O is - - -

This means the famous international distress signal, SOS, translates to ... --- ....

The Efficiency of Morse

Morse code was designed to be incredibly efficient. The most commonly used letters in the English language were assigned the shortest sequences. For example, the letter "E" (the most common letter) is just a single dot (.), while the letter "Q" is a long - - . -.

While it's no longer used for commercial shipping, Morse code is still heavily used by amateur radio operators, in aviation navigation (VORs), and in assistive technology for people with severe physical disabilities.

Use our translator to easily encode your messages into dots and dashes!

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