Morse Code Translator & Player
Translate text to Morse code and back. Listen to authentic 600Hz audio tones with custom transmission speeds and synchronized flashing signal lights.
International Morse Code Output
International Morse Code Quick Reference
International Morse Code Timing Rules & The PARIS Standard
International Timing Proportions (ITU-R M.1677)
Morse code is not merely dots and dashes—it is a precise temporal rhythm structured around a baseline duration unit called the dit:
- One Dit (•): Exactly 1 time unit long.
- One Dah (–): Exactly 3 time units long (the duration of three dits).
- Intra-character Space: 1 unit of silence between consecutive dits and dahs inside the same letter.
- Inter-letter Space: 3 units of silence between adjacent letters.
- Inter-word Space: 7 units of silence (often marked with a forward slash
/) between words.
The PARIS Standard for Words Per Minute (WPM)
To calibrate transmission speeds across different telegraph operators, amateur radio enthusiasts (HAMs) use the standard word "PARIS":
- The word "PARIS" (including inter-letter and inter-word spacing) precisely equals 50 unit intervals.
- Therefore, at 1 WPM, 50 units must play over 60 seconds (1,200 milliseconds per unit).
- Formula:
Unit Duration (ms) = 1200 / WPM. At 20 WPM, each dit is exactly 60 milliseconds long!
Modern Applications in Aviation, Maritime & Emergency Signaling
While satellite telephony has superseded commercial maritime radio, Morse code remains actively broadcast today in aviation navigation aids (VOR and ILS radio beacons repeatedly transmit their 3-letter station identifiers in Morse audio). Furthermore, because Morse code requires minimal bandwidth and zero voice comprehension, optical signal lamps remain mandatory survival equipment on naval warships.