Morse Code Audio Translator

What Morse code sounds like

Morse code audio is a single tone switched on and off. A short beep is a dit (written as a dot), a beep three times as long is a dah (a dash). The silence between them carries just as much information: one dot-length between the symbols of a letter, three between letters, seven between words. SOS, the most recognised Morse sound in the world, is three short, three long, three short, with no extra pause between the letters:

Play the SOS sound Play CQ Play 73

Because the code is about rhythm, not pitch, the same message sounds the same whether it comes from a telegraph sounder, a radio, a ship's whistle or a car horn. The famous "Honda beep" that some drivers hear when locking their car is just a pattern of short beeps; it is not a message, although people often ask.

Why 600 to 800 Hz?

Radio operators have settled on a sidetone between roughly 600 and 800 Hz because the ear picks out that range easily against background noise and it is comfortable for long sessions. Lower tones (around 400–500 Hz) sound softer and are preferred by some operators with high-frequency hearing loss; higher tones (900–1000 Hz) cut through better but tire the ear. The Tone slider covers the whole range. If you are recording audio to play back on a phone speaker, 700–800 Hz usually reproduces most clearly.

Why speed (WPM) matters

Morse speed is measured in words per minute using the reference word PARIS, which is 50 units long. That gives a simple formula: dot length in seconds = 1.2 ÷ WPM. At 5 WPM a dot lasts 240 ms and the code is slow enough to count; at 15 WPM (80 ms) it starts to sound like a language; at 20 WPM, the speed most amateur radio contacts use, you can only follow by recognising the sound of each letter; at 30–40 WPM experienced operators copy whole words at a time. The generator shows the dot length next to the slider so you can see the relationship.

If you are learning, the counterintuitive advice is to start fast. Characters sent at 18–20 WPM cannot be counted, which forces you to learn their sound. Stretch the gaps between characters instead (Farnsworth timing) so you have time to think. Our learning guide explains the Koch and Farnsworth methods step by step.

Can this tool decode Morse code from audio?

Not yet, and we would rather say so than pretend. This page generates sound from text; it does not listen through your microphone or analyse an uploaded recording. Decoding real-world audio reliably is hard because of noise, drifting speed and uneven spacing, and the tools that attempt it often produce garbage without warning.

What works today: play the recording, slow it down if your player allows it, and write each beep as a dot or a dash, leaving a space at every longer pause and a slash at every long silence. Then paste the result into the Morse code decoder. For short messages such as SOS, a name or a radio call sign, this takes a minute. The Morse code reader will show you letter by letter whether your transcription makes sense. If we add microphone decoding in the future, it will be announced on this page.

What people make with the sound generator

• Ringtones and notification sounds. Download a WAV of a name or a short word; most phones accept WAV or will convert it. Keep it under four seconds for a notification.
• Escape rooms, puzzles and classroom games. Export a clue at 8–10 WPM so players can count the symbols against a chart.
• Film, theatre and podcast sound design. A 700 Hz tone at 20 WPM is the "radio room" sound audiences expect.
• Checking a tattoo or bracelet. Hearing the code is the surest way to confirm the dots and dashes are in the right order before they become permanent.