How to decode Morse code from text, sound or light
Morse code writes each letter as a fixed pattern of short signals (dots, or "dits") and long signals (dashes, or "dahs"). A dash is three times as long as a dot. The gap inside a letter is one dot long, between letters three, and between words seven. Once you can tell those gaps apart, you decode text, sound and light the same way.
Decoding written dots and dashes
Saw Morse on a messenger note or in an escape-room puzzle? Read it like this.
- 1. Spaces separate letters, e.g. ···· · ·−·· ·−·· −−−
- 2. A slash, a new line or a double space separates words
- 3. Look each group up in the chart below. The example spells HELLO
Why you get question marks
When a translator gives "nothing but question marks", the usual cause is missing spaces, so several letters run together into one unknown group, or a pattern that isn't in the chart. Mixed symbols like ·, •, −, – or _ are fine; the spaces between letters are what matter.
Decoding sound and light
Sound and light are read by length. A short beep or flash is a dot, a long one a dash, a short pause means the next letter and a long pause the next word. Write down dots and dashes as you hear them and look them up; with practice you hear the letters directly.
Morse code chart: letters and numbers
| Char | Code | Char | Code | Char | 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 | −−−−· |
In Morsely
Paste dots and dashes and Morsely detects the direction and shows the words. It reads many dot and dash symbols and treats a slash or a new line as a word break. For a signal you hear, tap it out on the keypad or tap key. Hangul Morse and a full chart with prosigns and Q codes are built in.
FAQ
- I saw somebody put a Morse code on their messenger note — what does it mean?
- Copy the dots and dashes as they are and paste them into a translator. Just make sure the spaces between letters came along.
- Why does it only give me question marks?
- Usually the spaces between letters are missing, or a pattern isn't a real character. Add spaces to split the letters and try again.
- Is there a Morse code audio decoder?
- You can decode by ear: short sounds are dots, long ones dashes. In Morsely, tap out what you hear on the tap key and it becomes text.
- What do dits and dahs mean?
- They are the spoken names for dots and dashes. Saying them out loud, like dah-di-dah for K, is how you learn the rhythm.
Paste the dots and dashes and see the words
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