What Is the American Morse Code Translator?
This Morse code translator lets you quickly and easily translate any text into American Morse code, and vice versa. Like International Morse code, American Morse code uses combinations of either sound or light signals to represent different words and send messages. While it is not commonly used today, American Morse code is the original Morse code created by Samuel Morse centuries ago.
All translators available on the Morse code translator work right in your browser, including this one. You don't need any knowledge about Morse code to use it, and it only takes seconds to work. The translator is also user-friendly and completely free to use.
How to Use the American Morse Code Translator
- Type or paste your text into the "Text" box on the left.
- As you type, the American Morse code translation appears automatically in the "American Morse Code" box on the right.
- Once your text is completely translated, click the sound icon to hear your American Morse code. You can also copy the Morse code translation.
- If you want to start from scratch, simply erase the text and repeat the steps.
What Came First: International Morse Code or American Morse Code?
American Morse, which is also known as railroad Morse code, was invented by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail in 1844. It was the original Morse code, and telegraph operators used it to send messages through the telegraph systems. The International Morse code was created later in 1848 and was initially known as the Continental Morse code.
International Morse code continued to grow in popularity beyond just the telegraph, and shipboard operators at sea began using it for communication. At the first radiotelegraphic convention meeting in 1906, the International Morse code signal for SOS was established, which marked a significant milestone in Morse code history.
Despite the popularity of the International or Continental Morse code, the original Morse code continued to be used in the United States until the 1960s. Today, it is rare to find American Morse being actively used, but true to its moniker, "railroad Morse", you can find it in American railroad museums.
What Is the Difference Between International Morse and American Morse Code?
While they share many of the same symbols and signals, some letters and numbers are different between the two.
For example, the letter "J" in American Morse code is dash, dot, dash, dot. But, in International Morse code alphabet, it's dot, dash, dash, dash.
Another main difference between the two is that American Morse code has a more complicated system, while International Morse code simplifies things to reduce errors and make messages easier to transmit.
For example, in International Morse code, all dashes are the same length, whereas American Morse code has short dashes, long dashes (like what's used in "L"), and even longer dashes (like what's used in "0"). There are also spaces to account for in the original Morse code, and many signals are longer.
In terms of transmission speed, messages in original Morse code can be sent quicker than messages in International Morse code, thanks to its unique system of dashes of different lengths. However, the one downside is that American Morse is more prone to operator errors.
Morse Code in Other Languages
Morse code is not just for English or Latin script languages. For example, there is Japanese Morse code, which uses different Morse code symbols for Japanese characters, and Russian Morse code, which adapts the system for the Cyrillic script.
Clearly, the use of Morse code is no longer limited to transmitting messages on the telegraph systems - it is now an essential communication tool for many global industries, such as the aviation industry and the maritime industry for ocean going vessels. Amateur radio operators also use Morse code for long-distance communication.