Symbol Alphabets: Morse, Braille, NATO, Semaphore and ASL
Type a word to see it in five signal alphabets. Play the Morse out loud, or paste dots and dashes to decode them.
This looks like Morse code.
Morse code
Chart and guideThe light blinks with the code, up to a few times a second. Turn it off if flashing lights bother you.
Braille
Chart and guideFor showing Braille on screen. Printed Braille for blind readers needs a Braille embosser and often contracted (grade 2) Braille.
NATO alphabet
Chart and guideASL hand alphabet
Chart and guideTEXTEDITOR
J and Z move: the arrow shows the path. Pictures, so you can't copy them as text.
More ways to write in code
Morse and braille are not the only codes. Each card links to the tool that makes it.
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Last checked by the TextEditor.com team
How to use the translator
Type or paste text in the box. The Morse code, Braille, NATO words, flag pictures and hand letters all change while you type.
To read Morse, press "Morse to text" and paste the dots and dashes. Put one space between letters and a slash between words. If you paste dots and dashes while the tool is set to text, it offers to switch for you.
Press Play to hear the code. Letter speed sets how fast each letter is sent, in words per minute (WPM). Gap speed adds extra time between letters and words. On a phone, the tabs above the result switch between the alphabets.
- TypePut a word in the box, or dots and dashes like
... --- ... - Pick a directionText to Morse, or Morse to text to decode it.
- Listen or savePlay the Morse, copy the text or save the pictures as PNG.
Five alphabets compared
Each alphabet was made for a different way of sending a message. Some are text you can copy. Others are pictures of flags or hands.
| Alphabet | Sent with | Copy as text |
|---|---|---|
| Morse code | Sound, light or radio | Yes |
| Braille | Raised dots you feel | Yes, as Unicode |
| NATO alphabet | Spoken words | Yes |
| Flag semaphore | Two flags you see | No, pictures |
| ASL alphabet | Handshapes | No, pictures |
Morse code
Short and long signals for each letter. A dot is one unit of time and a dash is three. SOS is ...---..., sent as one run. The Morse code translator has the full chart, a timing picture and a quiz to learn the letters by ear.
Braille
Six dots in two columns make each letter. The tool writes grade 1 Braille with Unicode characters, so you can paste it anywhere. The Braille translator lets you build a cell dot by dot and shows the numbers too.
NATO alphabet
A word for each letter, from Alfa to Zulu, so letters are not mixed up on a bad line. The NATO alphabet page shows how to say each word and has a spelling quiz.
Flag semaphore
Two flags held at set angles, like the hands of a clock. Ships used it within sight of each other. The semaphore page has the full chart and shows how numbers work.
ASL hand alphabet
One handshape for each letter of American Sign Language (ASL). Signers use it to spell names and places. The ASL alphabet page has the chart with digits and tips for clear fingerspelling.
Computers store all these letters and signs as numbers. The ASCII table shows how plain letters become codes, and the binary translator turns any text into the 0s and 1s a computer stores.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these alphabets can I copy as text?
Morse code, Braille and the NATO words are text, so Copy works. Unicode has no characters for semaphore flags or hand signs, so those are pictures. Save them with Download PNG or Print.
Can I print the semaphore or ASL letters?
Yes. Each picture card has Print and Download PNG buttons. Print shows only the pictures, so the page fits on paper.
Does the translator work offline?
Once the page has loaded, yes. Everything runs in your browser, and your text is never sent to our server.
Related tools
- Morse codeTurn text into Morse code and hear it, or paste dots and dashes to decode them.
- BrailleType text and get Unicode Braille you can copy and paste.
- NATO alphabetSpell names and codes with the NATO phonetic alphabet, from Alfa to Zulu.
- Flag semaphoreTurn text into flag semaphore signs, with the Numbers sign added for you.
- ASL alphabetSpell names with the American Sign Language hand alphabet.
- All charactersFind any Unicode character by name or code, copy it, and get its HTML entity, CSS and JavaScript code.