Both directions, with transmission time
Text to Morse and back, with counts of dots and dashes and the transmission time at standard speed.
Morse code is built around letter frequency: E, the commonest English letter, is a single dot, while the rare Q takes four symbols. That is why the code stays compact despite an alphabet of only two marks.
Alongside the translation it computes transmission time. The time unit is the length of a dot; a dash is three units, the gap between symbols one and between letters three. At twenty words per minute a unit lasts 60 milliseconds.
What this calculator shows
- The Morse code or the decoded text
- Counts of dots, dashes and total symbols
- Approximate transmission time at 20 words per minute
What to keep in mind
- Latin letters, digits and common punctuation are supported; Cyrillic has its own table and is not used here.
- Letters are separated by spaces and words by a slash — the standard written convention.
FAQs
What does SOS stand for?
Nothing. It was adopted in 1906 for its simple, unmistakable pattern. Every expansion was invented afterwards.
How is Morse written down?
Dots and dashes, letters separated by spaces and words by a slash. That convention is what this translator reads and writes.
What counts as a normal sending speed?
Twenty words a minute is the amateur standard; professional operators reached forty. Speed is measured against the reference word PARIS, which occupies exactly fifty units.
Is Morse still used?
Formally retired from maritime distress in 1999, but alive in amateur radio, aviation navigation beacons, and as an emergency way to signal with light or by tapping.
Worked example
The distress signal
Input: sos unitools
Output: ... --- ... / ..- -. .. - --- --- .-.. ...
Note: SOS was chosen not as an abbreviation but for the simplicity of the code: three dots, three dashes, three dots. Expansions like Save Our Souls came later.