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Happy Birthday in Morse Code
"Happy Birthday" in Morse code is ···· ·– ·––· ·––· –·–– / –··· ·· ·–· – ···· –·· ·– –·––. Send it as a blinking light, a string of beeps, or write the dots and dashes inside a card for a hidden message.
The phrase
Timeline: 1 unit per dot, 3 per dash, 3 between letters, 7 between words.
Spoken aloud: dit dit dit dit · dit dah · dit dah dah dit · dit dah dah dit · dah dit dah dah · / · dah dit dit dit · dit dit · dit dah dit · dah · dit dit dit dit · dah dit dit · dit dah · dah dit dah dah
Breakdown
Happy Birthday, letter by letter
Morse code has no symbol for a whole phrase. You send each character in order and leave a pause of three units between them, and seven units between words. Click any character to hear it on its own.
Longest character: H (...., 4 signals). Shortest: T (-). Time units follow the standard 1-3-1-3-7 rule; at 15 words per minute one unit is 0.08 seconds, so the whole phrase takes about 11.3 seconds. At a beginner's 5 WPM it takes about 33.8 s, at 20 WPM about 8.5 s.
Four ways
How to send "Happy Birthday" in Morse code
The pattern is always ···· ·– ·––· ·––· –·–– / –··· ·· ·–· – ···· –·· ·– –·––. What changes is the medium. Here is the same phrase as sound, light, taps and text, with timing that works for this exact message.
By sound
Whistle, hum, beep or press the Listen button above. A dot is one short beep, a dash is three times longer. For "Happy Birthday" that is 25 short and 16 long beeps, about 11.3 seconds at a normal 15 WPM. If you are humming it for someone who is still learning, slow down to 5 WPM (about 33.8 s) and keep the gaps generous.
By light
With a flashlight or your phone's torch, use a pace of roughly 0.25 s on for a dot and 0.75 s on for a dash, with the light off for 0.25 s between signals and 0.75 s between letters, and about 1.75 s between words. Sent that way, "Happy Birthday" takes around 33.8 seconds. The Flash it button above shows the rhythm on the small lamp. More in Morse code with light.
By tapping
Knock on a table, a wall or a pipe: 25 quick taps for the dots and 16 longer knocks for the dashes, with a clear pause between letters and a longer one between words. Most people make the dash by holding the knuckle on the surface a beat longer, or by a short double-tap, as long as both sides agree beforehand. Our Morse code tapping guide covers the conventions.
As text
Paste the dots and dashes into a chat, a card or a caption. Keep one space between letters and a slash (or three spaces) between words so the reader can decode it without guessing:
.... .- .--. .--. -.-- / -... .. .-. - .... -.. .- -.--
Ideas
Use "Happy Birthday" in real life
On a bracelet
Thread 25 small round beads for the dots and 16 long tube beads for the dashes, in this order: .... .- .--. .--. -.-- / -... .. .-. - .... -.. .- -.--. Add one spacer bead between letters and three between words, about 13 in total.
As a tattoo
41 signals is on the long side, so consider stacking the words or running it vertically along the arm or spine. Keep the dot-to-dash ratio at 1:3 so it stays readable.
In a message
Copy the code and drop it into a text, a note or a caption. The dots and dashes survive in any app. Anyone can read it with our Morse code decoder.
FAQ
Questions about Happy Birthday in Morse code
How do you write Happy Birthday in Morse code?
"Happy Birthday" in Morse code is written .... .- .--. .--. -.-- / -... .. .-. - .... -.. .- -.--. Letter by letter: H = ...., A = .-, P = .--., P = .--., Y = -.--, B = -..., I = .., R = .-., T = -, H = ...., D = -.., A = .-, Y = -.--. Leave one space between letters and a slash or three spaces between words.
How many dots and dashes are in Happy Birthday?
"Happy Birthday" uses 41 signals in total: 25 dots and 16 dashes across 13 characters. In timing units it adds up to 141, so it takes about 11.3 seconds at 15 words per minute.
How do you say Happy Birthday in Morse code?
Out loud, operators say "dit" for a dot and "dah" for a dash, so "Happy Birthday" is spoken as: dit dit dit dit · dit dah · dit dah dah dit · dit dah dah dit · dah dit dah dah · / · dah dit dit dit · dit dit · dit dah dit · dah · dit dit dit dit · dah dit dit · dit dah · dah dit dah dah. Press Listen on this page to hear the real tones at 15 WPM.
How long does it take to send Happy Birthday in Morse code?
About 11.3 seconds at 15 WPM, 33.8 seconds at a beginner-friendly 5 WPM, and 8.5 seconds at 20 WPM. The length is set by the 1-3-1-3-7 timing rule: a dot is one unit, a dash three, with one unit inside a character, three between characters and seven between words.
Translate any word or phrase
Type anything and get the Morse code with audio, a timing strip and a WAV download.