Morse Code Translator (text to Morse and Morse to text, ITU)

Understanding the Morse code translator — concept and principle

Morse code represents letters and figures as sequences of short and long signals, dots and dashes. This translator converts text to International Morse code and back, following ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1, and calculates how long the message takes to send at a chosen speed in words per minute.

Every element is a whole number of dot units; at 20 wpm one unit is 60 ms.

How it is calculated

Each character uses its ITU code (A = .-, B = -..., S = ..., O = ---, and so on)

Timing in dot units: dot = 1, dash = 3, gap inside a letter = 1, between letters = 3, between words = 7

Length = sum of all units; the word "PARIS" is exactly 50 units

Dot duration = 1.2 ÷ wpm seconds; sending time = units × 1.2 ÷ wpm

In the output, letters are separated by a space and words by " / ".

The principle

Samuel Morse's code gives frequent letters short codes: E is a single dot and T a single dash. Timing is everything, because receivers distinguish dots from dashes and letters from words by the length of signals and gaps. Using the standard word PARIS, which is 50 units long, as one "word" lets speeds be compared: at 20 words per minute, 20 × 50 = 1,000 units per minute, so one unit lasts 60 ms.

Worked example

Default inputs: text → Morse, "SOS Help is coming", 20 wpm.

SOS = ... --- ...; HELP = .... . .-.. .--.; IS = .. ...; COMING = -.-. --- -- .. -. --.
Translation: ... --- ... / .... . .-.. .--. / .. ... / -.-. --- -- .. -. --.
Characters translated = 15; characters not in the code = 0.
Counting dots, dashes and gaps gives 157 dot units.
One dot = 1,200 ÷ 20 = 60 ms; sending time = 157 × 1.2 ÷ 20 = 9.4 s.

How to read the result

Learners usually start at low speeds, while experienced operators send much faster. The calculated time assumes perfect standard spacing. Many learners practise with characters sent at a higher speed but extra spacing between them, which makes the overall rate slower than the character speed.

Common mistakes

Forgetting spaces between letters, which merges codes (... --- ... vs. ...---...).
Confusing O (---) with zero (-----).
Expecting lowercase and capitals to differ; Morse has no case.
Using characters not in the ITU set, which are shown as "?".

Keep in mind: In a real emergency, use official emergency channels and equipment. This tool is for learning and fun.

Frequently asked questions

What does SOS mean in Morse?

... --- ..., a distress signal sent as one continuous sequence.

How fast is 20 wpm?

Each dot lasts 60 ms, so the standard word PARIS takes 3 seconds.

Why is E a single dot?

Morse gave the most frequent English letters the shortest codes.

Does Morse distinguish capital letters?

No. There is no upper or lower case in Morse code.

Sources: ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1 (10/2009), "International Morse code"

Checked 9 Nov 2026. ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1 (10/2009), “International Morse code”, Annex 1 Part I §1 (signals) and §2 (spacing and length of the signals); words-per-minute timing by the 50-unit standard word PARIS (P.-T. de Boer, “Timing of Morse code”, technote tn31).

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