Everyday
Percentages, tips & quick math
SOS in Morse Code
SOS in Morse code is ... --- ... — three dots, three dashes, three dots. It is the international distress signal, adopted in 1905 because that nine-element run is short, symmetric and unmistakable even through heavy noise. Written letter by letter it is S (...), O (---), S (...), though it is traditionally keyed as one continuous string with no letter gaps. SOS does not stand for "Save Our Souls" or "Save Our Ship" — those are later backronyms; it was chosen purely for its distinctive sound. Type it in the tool to hear the classic di-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-dit. Runs 100% in your browser. Free, no login.
SOS = ... --- ...
- That is S (...) + O (---) + S (...) — nine elements, keyed as one continuous prosign
- Chosen in 1905 as the international distress signal for being short and unmistakable
- Play it in the tool to hear the di-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-dit pattern
Frequently asked questions
What is SOS in Morse code?
SOS is ... --- ... — three dots, three dashes, three dots. It is the international distress signal. Keyed properly it is sent as one continuous nine-element string with no gaps between the letters, which is why it sounds like one long unmistakable pattern rather than three separate letters.
Does SOS stand for "Save Our Souls"?
No. SOS was not chosen as an abbreviation of any phrase — "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship" are backronyms invented afterwards. It was selected in 1905 simply because the sequence three dots, three dashes, three dots is short, symmetric and extremely hard to mistake for anything else, even through radio static.