Morse Code Translator

Every letter, digit and common punctuation mark has a fixed pattern of short signals (dots) and long ones (dashes). The translator writes each character’s pattern with a space between letters and a slash between words, following the international standard, ITU-R M.1677.

Playback uses the standard timing. A dot is one unit long and a dash three. The gap inside a letter is one unit, the gap between letters is three, and the gap between words is seven. Change the speed and every unit changes with it, so the rhythm stays right at any speed.

International Morse code for every character the translator supports. The commonest letters have the shortest codes: E is a single dot and T a single dash. The story goes that Alfred Vail, who worked with Samuel Morse, counted the type in a printer’s case to find out which letters were used most.

• Learn letters by sound, not by counting dots on a chart. “Dah-di-dah-dit” sticks better than “dash dot dash dot”.
• Start with a few letters at a time, such as E, T, A, N, I and M, and add more once those are automatic.
• Send letters at a brisk speed with longer gaps between them. You learn the sound of each letter, then close the gaps as you improve.
• Practise a little every day. Ten minutes daily beats an hour once a week.