INTERNATIONAL MORSE CODE / WORD
SOS & Emergency Signals
...---...SOS is the internationally recognized Morse distress signal: three dots, three dashes, and three dots sent as one continuous sequence.
INTERACTIVE SIGNAL
Experience SOS as a Morse signal
...---...Choose a signal output, then press Play.
Morse Pattern
SOS is written as ...---.... It contains 6 dots and 3 dashes. The rhythm is short + short + short + long + long + long + short + short + short.
How to type SOS
Type ...---.... A dot lasts one time unit, a dash lasts three, a letter gap lasts three units, and a word gap lasts seven.
Pattern and sound
Use Listen to hear the complete rhythm at 620 Hz. Learn it as one sound pattern instead of counting every mark; this improves recognition at higher speeds.
Usage examples
- Use SOS only to indicate grave and imminent danger.
- Send the nine marks as one continuous signal.
- Repeat the signal when seeking emergency attention.
Practice this signal
Listen once, repeat the rhythm, then enter it from memory. Short daily sessions build more reliable recognition than visual memorization alone.
Visual explanation
SOS signal breakdown
SOS is transmitted as one continuous procedural signal: three short, three long, three short.
...Three short signals.
---Three long signals.
...Three short signals.
Keep the mark spacing even and repeat the complete sequence when seeking emergency attention.
Visual explanation
What the SOS rhythm communicates
A distinctive opening made from three one-unit signals.
The central group uses three three-unit signals.
A standardized distress signal, not an abbreviation for a phrase.
SOS meaning
Its symmetrical rhythm—three short, three long, three short—is distinctive and practical to transmit. SOS is a signal in its own right; it was not selected as an abbreviation for “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls.”
History of SOS
The distress signal was established internationally in the early twentieth century and became associated with maritime radio communication. Historical claims are reviewed against the institutional and technical references on our sources page.
Audio signal, light signal, and vibration pattern
Transmit ...---... as one procedural signal. Open the unified decoder, then choose audio, light, or vibration while the same timing stays visible.
SOS questions
What does SOS mean in Morse code?
SOS is the internationally recognized distress signal. It is a procedural signal, not an abbreviation for Save Our Ship or Save Our Souls.
How is SOS written in Morse code?
SOS is written as three dots, three dashes, and three dots: ...---... . It is sent as one continuous signal.
Can SOS be sent with sound, light, or vibration?
Yes. The same short-short-short, long-long-long, short-short-short timing can be transmitted as audio tones, light flashes, or vibration.
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