"I love you" in Morse code is .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-. Each slash marks a gap between words.
Letter by letter
| Letter | Morse code | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| I | .. | di-dit |
| L | .-.. | di-dah-di-dit |
| O | --- | dah-dah-dah |
| V | ...- | di-di-di-dah |
| E | . | dit |
| Y | -.-- | dah-di-dah-dah |
| O | --- | dah-dah-dah |
| U | ..- | di-di-dah |
Short and related versions
| Message | Morse code | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| ILY | .. .-.. -.-- | |
| Love | .-.. --- ...- . | |
| I love you too | .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- / - --- --- | |
| I still love you | .. / ... - .. .-.. .-.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- | |
| I miss you | .. / -- .. ... ... / -.-- --- ..- |
Want a name or a longer message? Type it into the Morse code translator and press Play, or download it as an audio file.
Open “I love you” in the translator
Is 143 "I love you" in Morse code?
No. 143 is a number code from the days of pagers: I has 1 letter, love has 4 and you has 3. It is not Morse code. Sent in Morse, 143 is just three numbers, .---- ....- ...--.
How to tap, blink or flash it
Morse code works with any signal that can be short or long, which is why people use it for private messages.
- Tapping: a quick tap is a dot, and pressing and holding for about three times as long is a dash. On a hand or a table, pause briefly between letters and a little longer between words.
- Squeezing hands: short and long squeezes. ILY (.. .-.. -.--) is short enough to send in a moment.
- Blinking: quick blinks for dots and slow, longer closes for dashes. Keep it to ILY, because long messages are tiring to blink and hard to read.
- Light: flash a phone torch on and off. The lamp in the translator shows the exact rhythm if you want to copy it.
For any of these, both people need to agree on the rhythm first. Practising with the sound on the translator helps you hear what a dash should feel like.
Gift and keepsake ideas
Morse code is popular for gifts because the message is hidden in plain sight: only someone who knows it can read it.
- Bracelets with beads or knots: a small bead for a dot and a long bead or a gap for a dash.
- An engraving on a ring, watch back or pendant.
- A framed print of a date, name or message.
Before ordering anything, check the code here. A missing space or slash changes the letters, and engraving mistakes are permanent.