What does ...---... mean in international morse code?

... is S; --- is O. So, the message reads "SOS", the standard distress message.

Though some people believe this sequence of letters means "Save Our Ship" or even a romantic "Save Our Souls", the truth is that the famous abbreviation doesn't have any literary meaning. It is used because such a sequence of dots and dashes is simple enough and easily recognizable.

Have you known about this fact? Tell us in the comments!

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

74 Comments

Douglas Germond

Actually, SOS has no literal translation. It does NOT stand for Save Our Ship, nor does it stand for Save Our Souls, or anything else that is abbreviated. Like the question states, it literally is a distress call, and that's it.

Frank Cowell

Exactly! I believe that this letter sequence was used because it is very easy to send when you are under stress (dit-dit-dit, da-da-da, dit-dit-dit) and very easily recognzed.

Cujo

In my case, it means, "Same old ****".

wandajaneburlinson

Overshadowed it had worked for the Titanic.

Speedy

...only Morse message I know...

Lia Maiava

Yes I knew this, my uncle was a radio Operater and gave me the alphabet morse code when I was young. He was quite pleased with himself that he would always remember it

Cliff Occomore

The Titanic's radio man used the signal to indicate the ship was in distress. Sadly, although it was picked up, it wasn't acted upon quickly as it had only been introduced to replace an older code (which I forget)

Chrissie

Richard D. Boyle, surely it starts ...- ...- ?

Chrissie

Linda Whiting, I was often in distress at school too. As a teacher; seldom as a pupil.

Irene Townsend

Douglas Germond, But even people that have never been to sea or flown in an plane or had a ham radio, knows that SOS is known world wide as the distress signal.