Morse / translate
START WITH A SINGLE SIGNAL

Learn Morse code.

A small alphabet of sounds. A new way to listen.

1. Meet the dot and the dash

Morse code represents characters as short and long signals. A dot is short; a dash lasts three times as long. The same patterns can be written, sounded or flashed as light. Morse is a code, not a separate spoken language.

E.One dot · dit
T−One dash · dah

Start by listening to E and T in the audio generator. Then compare A (.-) and N (-.). They contain the same two sounds in a different order.

2. Listen for the spaces

Gaps tell you where one character ends and the next begins. Without them, a string of dots and dashes is often ambiguous.

The basic timing rules
Signal or gapLength
Dot1 unit
Dash3 units
Between sounds in a character1 unit
Between letters3 units
Between words7 units

In written code, use a single space between letters and / between words. The translator also accepts three or more spaces for a word break.

3. Try a short listening exercise

  1. Enter E T A N into the audio generator.
  2. Choose a comfortable speed and listen once while looking at the letters.
  3. Look away, listen again and write down the patterns you recognize.
  4. Check your answer with the alphabet chart, then try a new order.

Work in short sessions and add a few characters at a time. Try to recognize each whole rhythm rather than counting every dot and dash. There is no fixed timetable for fluency.

4. Read your first words

.... . .-.. .-.. --- spells HELLO. Each space separates one letter: H, E, L, L, O. For two words, .... .. / - .... . .-. . spells HI THERE.

SOS is a special continuous distress signal, ...---.... Its letters are often shown separately as ... --- ... in written examples. SOS is not an abbreviation that needs to be expanded into a phrase.

Choose a next step

For a puzzle or a message you already have, go straight to the Morse code translator. For listening practice, make a short WAV file with the audio generator. Keep the alphabet chart nearby as you learn.

Timing reference: ITU-R M.1677-1, International Morse code.