What is SOS in Morse code?

Three dots, three dashes, three dots: ... --- ... It is the letters S, O and S, and the tool will play it for you.

Three dots, by the ITU recommendation. The gap between letters is also three dots, and the gap between words is seven.

Can it translate an accented letter?

The ITU table has one: the accented e, É, which is ..-.. Other accented letters are not in the table, so the tool leaves them out and says so.

Morse Code Translator: Words to Dots and Dashes

In Morse code:

... - .. .-.. .-.. / .- -. -.. / .-- .- -.- .

A brass ship's bell on a wooden post above a harbour at dusk, fishing boats moored below and a small lighthouse at the end of the pier. — Before radio, a harbour talked with bells, flags and lamps.

The International Morse code

Letters, from ITU-R M.1677-1, section 1.1.1
Letter	Code	Letter	Code	Letter	Code
A	.−	I	..	R	.−.
B	−...	J	.−−−	S	...
C	−.−.	K	−.−	T	−
D	−..	L	.−..	U	..−
E	.	M	−−	V	...−
É (accented e)	..−..	N	−.	W	.−−
F	..−.	O	−−−	X	−..−
G	−−.	P	.−−.	Y	−.−−
H	....	Q	−−.−	Z	−−..

Figures, section 1.1.2
0	−−−−−	5	.....
1	.−−−−	6	−....
2	..−−−	7	−−...
3	...−−	8	−−−..
4	....−	9	−−−−.

Yachts moored stern-on along a wooden pontoon at sunset, masts reflected in still water. — Evening on the pontoon: a good time to practise.

Punctuation and signs, section 1.1.3
.	.−.−.−
,	−−..−−
:	−−−...
?	..−−..
'	.−−−−.
-	−....−
/	−..−.
(	−.−−.
)	−.−−.−
"	.−..−.
=	−...−
+	.−.−.
× (sent as X)	−..−
@	.−−.−.
Understood	...−.
Error (eight dots)	........
Invitation to transmit	−.−
Wait	.−...
End of work	...−.−
Starting signal	−.−.−

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How to use it

Type a word, a name or a short message in the box. The code appears as you type. To go the other way, paste dots and dashes. Put one space between letters and a slash between words, like ... --- ....

Press Play to hear the code as a tone and see it on the lamp. The slider sets the length of one dot. Start slow and speed up as the letters start to feel familiar.

A classic wooden yacht at anchor on still water at dusk, a headland behind. — At anchor as the light goes, when a lamp carries further than a voice.

How it is worked out

Every letter, figure and sign comes from the International Telecommunication Union's Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1, International Morse code. It sets out the characters, and how they are sent, for radio services.

The same document sets the timing, and the player follows it to the letter:

a dash is three dots long
the gap inside a letter is one dot
the gap between letters is three dots
the gap between words is seven dots

If you type something the code has no signal for, such as & or £, the tool leaves it out and tells you. The ITU says a multiplication sign is sent as the letter X, so the tool does that too.

Sources

ITU, Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1 (10/2009), International Morse code, Annex 1, read 30 October 2026

Written by Craig Fearn, Still & Wake. Last updated 30 October 2026.

Craig Fearn runs Still & Wake. He writes the guides and journal.

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