Morse Code Decoder (Morse Code to Text) with Chart
Enter Morse code (dots and dashes) and instantly convert it back into readable letters, numbers, and symbols. Free, no signup, with a full International Morse Code reference chart included.
International Morse Code reference table
| Character | Code | Character | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | .- |
B | -... |
| C | -.-. |
D | -.. |
| E | . |
F | ..-. |
| G | --. |
H | .... |
| I | .. |
J | .--- |
| K | -.- |
L | .-.. |
| M | -- |
N | -. |
| O | --- |
P | .--. |
| Q | --.- |
R | .-. |
| S | ... |
T | - |
| U | ..- |
V | ...- |
| W | .-- |
X | -..- |
| Y | -.-- |
Z | --.. |
| 0 | ----- |
1 | .---- |
| 2 | ..--- |
3 | ...-- |
| 4 | ....- |
5 | ..... |
| 6 | -.... |
7 | --... |
| 8 | ---.. |
9 | ----. |
| . | .-.-.- |
, | --..-- |
| ? | ..--.. |
' | .----. |
| ! | -.-.-- |
/ | -..-. |
| ( | -.--. |
) | -.--.- |
| & | .-... |
: | ---... |
| ; | -.-.-. |
= | -...- |
| + | .-.-. |
- | -....- |
| _ | ..--.- |
" | .-..-. |
| $ | ...-..- |
@ | .--.-. |
What this Morse code decoder does
This decoder turns Morse code written as dots and dashes into the letters, digits and punctuation it stands for — you simply paste or type the code and the text appears. A reference table of International Morse Code sits alongside it, so you can check how any individual character maps to its signal while you read the result.
It suits anything that involves reading Morse: studying for an amateur radio licence, following maritime or aeronautical signals, solving a puzzle or an escape-room clue, or simply confirming what a well-known sequence such as SOS actually spells out.
How to decode a message
- Enter the Morse code Type or paste the code, separating each character with a single space.
- Mark the word breaks Where one word ends and the next begins, use a slash (/) or a run of consecutive spaces.
- Read the decoded text The corresponding text appears as you type, with no need to press a button.
- Copy the result The copy button places the decoded text straight on your clipboard.
Tips for getting more out of it
- The expected format is: one space between letters, and either a slash (
/) or two or more spaces between words (e.g.... --- ... / .... . .-.. .--.). - Click the sample buttons (SOS, HELLO) to instantly fill the textarea with a valid example if you're not sure about the input format.
- Any code that isn't recognized (for example a typo) is replaced with
?so you can immediately spot where the decoding failed instead of silently dropping characters. - Output is always uppercase. Morse code itself has no concept of case, so this matches the actual International Morse Code standard rather than being an arbitrary choice.
- The table below maps letters to codes. If you need to go the other direction (text to Morse code), use the companion "Morse Code Encoder" tool instead.
When the decoder is useful
Practising for amateur radio
Turn received signals into text quickly, whether you are training your ear for CW or checking your own copy against the answer.
Solving puzzles and escape rooms
Morse turns up constantly in puzzle hunts and games. Decode it on the spot and move on to the next clue.
Checking signals in films and television
When a message is tapped out on screen, you can find out what it actually says while you watch.
Learning emergency signalling
Typing out basic sequences such as SOS is a practical way to commit them to memory before you ever need them.
Terms used in Morse code
- Morse code
- A method of representing characters through combinations of short and long signals. It was devised in the 1830s by Samuel Morse and his collaborators.
- International Morse Code
- The standardised version agreed between countries, which replaced the earlier national variants. The reference table here follows this standard.
- Telegraph key
- The device used to send Morse by hand. The length of each press distinguishes a dot from a dash.
- CW (Continuous Wave)
- The common name for radio communication by Morse code. It remains actively used in amateur radio today.
- SOS
- The sequence "···---···", adopted as the international distress signal. Its easily remembered rhythm is why it became so widely recognised.
- Prosign
- A sequence sent as one unit to control the exchange rather than to spell a word, such as the invitation to transmit or the end-of-message marker.
Frequently asked questions
/) or two or more consecutive spaces as a word separator. The international convention treats a word gap as roughly seven time units (three times the gap between letters), and a slash is the common written shorthand for that gap.? placeholder instead of being silently skipped, making it easy to locate typos in your input.
Side Note — the art of decoding by ear
Morse code was never really meant to be read as dots and dashes on paper. It was designed to be heard: a rhythm of short and long tones tapped out on a telegraph key, decoded instantly by a trained ear rather than looked up letter by letter in a table. Skilled telegraph operators reportedly learned to recognize entire words and common phrases as a single "sound pattern," much the way a fluent listener of a foreign language stops translating word by word and starts understanding whole phrases at once.
Because of this, historical training for telegraph and radio operators spent far more time on listening drills than on memorizing the code chart itself. Maritime and aviation radio licensing in many countries once required a practical sending-and-receiving exam as a core part of certification.
Even today, Morse code (referred to as "CW," for continuous wave, in radio circles) remains a recognized operating mode tied to advanced amateur radio licenses in a number of countries. Beyond its practical advantage of carrying over long distances with very little power and minimal equipment, there's something almost ceremonial about the fact that operators are still using a code system that has barely changed in over a century.