Binary-to-Morse mapping
Only used by the “Morse as 0 and 1” format. Letters are separated by a space and words by a slash, so no information is lost.
Everything happens in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
There are two ways to turn Morse code into binary. Either decode the Morse code into text and write the text as 8-bit ASCII binary, or replace each dot with 0 and each dash with 1 (or the other way round). This tool does both, and also converts to hexadecimal and Base64.
How to convert Morse code to binary
- Choose the formats in the From and To lists. For example, From Morse code to Binary (8-bit ASCII text).
- Type or paste in the Input box. The result appears straight away.
- Swap the two formats with the arrow button to go back the other way.
The pair does not have to include Morse code, so the page also works as a general text, binary, hex and Base64 converter.
Two meanings of "binary Morse code"
When people search for "binary Morse code" they usually mean one of two things, and they give different answers.
1. Morse code decoded to text, then written as binary
The letters of the message are converted to binary using the standard ASCII text encoding, 8 bits per letter. The message HI is:
| Step | Result |
|---|---|
| Morse code | .... .. |
| Text | HI |
| 8-bit ASCII binary | 01001000 01001001 |
| Hexadecimal | 48 49 |
| Base64 | SEk= |
This is how a computer would store the text. It has nothing to do with the dots and dashes, which are gone after decoding.
2. Dots and dashes written as 0 and 1
Here every dot becomes one bit and every dash becomes the other. The usual choice is 0 for a dot and 1 for a dash, so .... .. becomes 0000 00. You can choose the opposite mapping in the settings (1 for a dot, 0 for a dash).
For the result to be reversible you must keep the letter and word gaps. This tool keeps a space between letters and a slash between words. If you remove them, the same string of bits can be read as several different messages, just as unspaced dots and dashes can. See the Morse code decoder for why spacing matters.
Why Morse code is not really binary
It looks binary because there are two symbols. But a Morse code signal also depends on timing: a dot, a dash and three different lengths of silence. An on and off signal can only be read correctly if the durations are known, so a bits-only version needs separators between letters and words.
Computer text encodings avoid this by giving every character the same fixed width. Morse code does the opposite: common letters are short (E is a single dot) and rare ones are long, which makes typical messages shorter. According to a widely repeated account, Alfred Vail chose the lengths by counting how many of each letter a printer kept in type.
Morse code to Base64 and hex
Base64 and hexadecimal are ways of writing bytes as text. To get Base64 from Morse code, the tool decodes the Morse code to text and then encodes the bytes of that text. Choose Morse code in From and Base64 text in To. The same works for hex. To go the other way, put Base64 or hex in From and Morse code in To. Letters outside the basic alphabet are converted using UTF-8, so the conversion is reversible.
Common letters and numbers in Morse code
| Phrase | Morse code | Play |
|---|---|---|
| A | .- | |
| E | . | |
| T | - | |
| SOS | ... --- ... | |
| HI | .... .. | |
| 123 | .---- ..--- ...-- |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Morse code to binary?
Choose Morse code in the From list and Binary (8-bit ASCII text) in the To list for text as binary, or Morse as 0 and 1 to turn dots and dashes into zeros and ones.
How do I convert binary to Morse code?
Choose the binary format in From and Morse code in To. For 8-bit ASCII binary, the tool turns the bits into letters first and then into dots and dashes.
What do 0 and 1 mean in Morse code?
They are whatever you decide. By convention 0 is a dot and 1 is a dash. You can swap them in the settings. Only the Morse as 0 and 1 format uses this choice.
Why do I get an error converting binary?
8-bit ASCII binary must contain only 0 and 1 and be a multiple of 8 digits long. The tool tells you how many bits it found so you can see what is missing.
Does this work for Base64 too?
Yes. Pick Base64 text in either list. The conversion happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.
101, 01 and Braille: what this page does and does not do
Searches such as "01 Morse code translator" or "101 Morse code translator" mean binary: ones and zeros. This page converts between text, Morse code, bits (dot = 0, dash = 1), 8-bit ASCII, hex and Base64. It does not convert to Braille, which is a different system of raised dots. To decode a Base64 string, pick Base64 as the input and Text as the output.
Binary is separate from "base 64 decoder" tools. Here, Base64 is one of the input choices, so you can paste Base64 and see it as Morse code or text. String to Morse code works the same way: pick Text as input and Morse code as output.