To convert text to Morse code, each letter is replaced by its own pattern of dots and dashes. The word SOS becomes … — …, three short signals, three long, three short. Morse code was built in the 1830s to send messages over a telegraph wire using nothing but short and long pulses, and it still works the same way today. This guide explains how Morse code works, gives the full alphabet, and shows how to convert text to Morse code in one step.
In this guide
What Morse code is
Morse code is a way of representing letters, numbers, and punctuation as sequences of two signals: a short one called a dot and a long one called a dash. It was created for the electric telegraph, where the only thing you could send down the wire was a pulse that was either short or long. With just those two signals, any message can be spelled out one character at a time.
It is one of the oldest character encodings still in use, and it belongs to the same family of text conversions covered in our guide to online converters: text in, a different representation out.
How it works: dots, dashes and timing
Each character is a pattern of dots and dashes. The letter A is dot dash, written .-, and the letter B is dash dot dot dot, written -… Timing keeps them apart. A dash lasts about three times as long as a dot, a short gap separates the dots and dashes inside one letter, a longer gap separates letters, and a longer gap still separates words. That spacing is what lets a listener tell where one letter ends and the next begins.
Convert text to Morse code
Looking up each letter by hand is slow, so the text to Morse code converter does it instantly. You type or paste your text, and it returns the matching dots and dashes, correctly spaced between letters and words. It is the quick way to turn a name, a message, or a phrase into Morse without memorising the alphabet.
The Morse code alphabet
This is the International Morse Code used worldwide. Letters and digits each have a fixed pattern.
| Letter | Code | Letter | Code | Digit | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- | N | -. | 0 | —– |
| B | -… | O | — | 1 | .—- |
| C | -.-. | P | .–. | 2 | ..— |
| D | -.. | Q | –.- | 3 | …– |
| E | . | R | .-. | 4 | ….- |
| F | ..-. | S | … | 5 | ….. |
| G | –. | T | – | 6 | -…. |
| H | …. | U | ..- | 7 | –… |
| I | .. | V | …- | 8 | —.. |
| J | .— | W | .– | 9 | —-. |
| K | -.- | X | -..- | ||
| L | .-.. | Y | -.– | ||
| M | — | Z | –.. |
SOS and why E is a single dot
The most famous Morse signal is SOS, written … — …, chosen as a distress call because the pattern is simple and unmistakable even in poor conditions. It is easy to send and easy to recognise, which is exactly what you want in an emergency.
Look at the alphabet and you will notice the most common English letters have the shortest codes. E is a single dot and T is a single dash, while rare letters like Q and Y are four signals long. That was deliberate: Morse gave frequent letters short patterns so that ordinary messages could be sent as quickly as possible.
Where Morse is still used
Morse is no longer the backbone of communication it once was, but it has not disappeared. Amateur radio operators still use it because it carries further than voice on a weak signal. It appears in aviation and maritime identification beacons, and it remains a reliable last resort, since a dot and a dash can be sent with a light, a sound, or a tap when nothing else is available.
Free converter used in this guide
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert text to Morse code?
Replace each letter with its dot-and-dash pattern from the Morse alphabet. The text to Morse code converter does it instantly, with correct spacing between letters and words.
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is … — …, three dots, three dashes, three dots. It was chosen as a distress signal because the pattern is simple and hard to mistake.
What is the difference between a dot and a dash?
A dot is a short signal and a dash is a long one, lasting about three times as long as a dot. The timing between them marks where one letter ends and the next begins.
Why is the letter E just one dot?
E is the most common letter in English, so Morse gave it the shortest possible code to make everyday messages faster to send.
Is Morse code still used today?
Yes. It is used in amateur radio, in some aviation and maritime beacons, and as a reliable emergency signal that can be sent by light, sound, or touch.