To translate Morse code into numbers, match each dot-and-dash sequence against the fixed five-element patterns for 0 through 9 defined by ITU-R M.1677-1: 0 is -----, 1 is .----, 2 is ..---, 3 is ...--, 4 is ....-, 5 is ....., 6 is -...., 7 is --..., 8 is ---.., and 9 is ----.., where . is a dot and - is a dash. Because every digit is always exactly five symbols long, they are among the easiest groups to spot in a stream of Morse, and a tool like the Morse Code Translator can read them back automatically as you paste or type. The translator uses the same single character table in both directions, so the encoding side produces these exact patterns from your typed digits and the decoding side recognizes them again from the dot-and-dash stream.
This is the part of Morse that beginners actually use most often. Phone numbers, radio call signs, frequencies, channel numbers, scores, years, and coordinates all become long strings of digits, and every one of them maps onto the same ten five-symbol patterns. Once you have the table in front of you, decoding is mechanical; once you have a working translator, you can skip the manual lookup entirely.
The Morse Patterns for Every Digit 0 Through 9
International Morse code gives each of the ten digits a fixed five-element pattern built from one to five dots followed by the matching number of dashes, or the reverse. The full digit table, as specified in ITU-R M.1677-1 (the 2009 revision that amateur radio operators, aviators, and mariners use), looks like this:
| Digit | Morse pattern | Element count |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ----- | 5 dashes |
| 1 | .---- | 1 dot + 4 dashes |
| 2 | ..--- | 2 dots + 3 dashes |
| 3 | ...-- | 3 dots + 2 dashes |
| 4 | ....- | 4 dots + 1 dash |
| 5 | ..... | 5 dots |
| 6 | -.... | 1 dash + 4 dots |
| 7 | --... | 2 dashes + 3 dots |
| 8 | ---.. | 3 dashes + 2 dots |
| 9 | ----. | 4 dashes + 1 dot |
Notice the symmetry: the digits count from 0 (all dashes) up to 5 (all dots) and then count back down to 9. This mirroring is intentional and is the reason digits are so easy to remember once you have seen them once. It also explains why all-digit sequences have a characteristic heavy feel when played on a straight key: long stretches of dashes dominate the lower half (0–4) and long stretches of dots dominate the upper half (5–9).
Why a Dedicated Translator Beats a Lookup Table
A printed chart is fine for one number at a time, but real-world Morse rarely arrives as a single five-symbol token. It arrives as a stream with spaces between letters and slashes between words, plus whatever timing artifacts the original sender left in. Doing the conversion by hand for a phone number means ten lookups, ten tokenizations, and a careful count of the spaces to avoid losing track of where each digit starts and stops.
The Morse Code Translator handles the bookkeeping for you. Its character table follows the same ITU-R M.1677-1 standard that produces the table above, and the reverse table is generated programmatically from the forward table so the two directions never disagree. The spacing convention is fixed too: dots and dashes within one character are joined together, letters are separated by a single space, and words are separated by a slash surrounded by spaces ( / ). When you paste a number like "1209" as Morse (".---- ..--- ----- ----."), the tool splits on the spaces, matches each group of five symbols to its digit, and reassembles the original string.
How to Decode Morse Code Into Numbers
If you already have a dot-and-dash string and want the digits back, follow these steps in the translator's Morse → Text mode:
- Open the Morse Code Translator and make sure the direction is set to Morse → Text. If it shows Text → Morse instead, press the swap button (⇄) to flip the input and output panels.
- Paste or type your Morse into the input box. Use a single space between letters and a slash surrounded by spaces ( / ) between words. For a string of numbers in one word, just separate the five-symbol groups with spaces.
- Read the digits as they appear in the output panel. Conversion is real time, so each keystroke updates the result instantly with no submit button.
- Press the copy button next to the output to grab the numeric string for pasting into a phone dialer, spreadsheet, or message.
- If you want to verify what you typed, press Play sound to hear the Morse at the correct ITU timing. A clean five-element digit at the standard rate will sound obviously different from a miscounted four- or six-element group.
The reverse table is generated from the single forward table, so the lookup is exact: any group whose dot-and-dash sequence does not appear in the table will not match a character. That is why accurate spacing and complete symbols matter when you copy Morse by hand, and it is also why a missing dash or an extra dot shows up immediately as a missing or wrong digit in the output.
How to Encode Numbers Into Morse Code
Going the other way is just as fast and uses the same interface. The Text → Morse direction is the default, so you usually do not need to touch the swap button.
- Open the Morse Code Translator with the direction set to Text → Morse.
- Type or paste the digits into the input box. A date like 2024-08-15, a phone number, or a frequency all work without special handling.
- Read the Morse pattern that appears on the right as you type. Each digit produces its own five-symbol token; the tool joins them with single spaces and uses a slash with surrounding spaces for any space you typed between words.
- Copy the resulting Morse string for use in a forum signature, an exercise sheet, or a CW practice session.
- Press Play sound to hear the number string at roughly 15 words per minute, with each digit taking exactly the standard amount of time and the correct pause between characters.
Numbers mixed with letters work the same way: the tool resolves each character independently using the single ITU table, so a phrase like "QSL 599" turns into "--.- ... .-.. / ..... ----. ----." with no extra configuration on your part. The character set covers A–Z, 0–9, and 18 punctuation marks (including the @ symbol added in the 2009 revision), which is the full alphabet that amateur radio and maritime operators actually use.
How Digit Patterns Sound at ITU Timing
The Morse alphabet is not just about symbols; it is about timing. The ITU defines each signal length in multiples of a single dot unit. A dash is exactly three dot units long, the gap between elements inside one character is one dot unit, the gap between characters is three dot units, and the gap between words is seven dot units. Those ratios are what let a human ear (or a decoding algorithm) tell where one digit ends and the next begins.
The translator's built-in audio player renders those exact ratios as a 600 Hz sine tone at roughly 15 words per minute, which is slow enough for ear training but fast enough to keep a string of digits from dragging. Listening to a sequence like "0 7 3" side by side with reading its pattern (----- --... ...--) is a quick way to build the mental link between what you see on paper and what you hear over the air.
| Timing unit | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 dot unit | Shortest signal or gap | A dot; the gap between dots and dashes inside one character |
| 3 dot units | Three times a dot | A dash; the gap between two characters in the same word |
| 7 dot units | Seven times a dot | The gap between two words, written as / with surrounding spaces |
The reason digits come out sounding distinctly heavier or lighter than letters is the element count. A digit is always five symbols, so the minimum time for one digit at standard timing is nine dot units for the all-dots digit 5 (five one-unit symbols plus four one-unit intra-character gaps), while digits containing dashes take longer because each dash adds three units instead of one followed by the three-dot gap that precedes the next character. A short letter like E (.) is just one dot unit, so it sounds like a quick tap compared to a full digit. A long letter like J (.---) or Q (--.-) takes thirteen dot units — four symbols (one dot at one unit and three dashes at three units each) plus three intra-character gaps of one unit each — and a different internal rhythm, which is one way trained operators tell them apart without consciously counting.
Where the Translator Stops: Limitations
The translator is built strictly on the ITU-R M.1677-1 character set, which covers A–Z, 0–9, and 18 punctuation marks including the @ symbol added in the 2009 revision. Anything outside that set has no mapping and either passes through unchanged on encode or fails to match on decode, depending on the character. Morse prosigns (the operator shorthand like AR, SK, and CT that radio amateurs use for "end of message," "silent key," and so on) are not expanded; if your input contains them as separate tokens they will not be recognized as such.
Decoding also assumes well-formed input. Stray characters, mismatched spacing, or tokens with the wrong number of symbols will not match any entry in the table. If the tool returns a shorter string than you expected, the usual culprit is a missing or extra space in the Morse you pasted, or a five-symbol token whose dot-dash shape is not one of the ten digits. The audio playback is a rendering aid, not a recognition step: it does not analyze a recorded sound file, it just plays whatever Morse string you have typed. For translation from a recording or a video, the tool gives you the canonical reference for the symbols you see, but the actual sound-to-symbol conversion still has to be done by ear or by a separate analysis pass.