Semaphore Translator
Type a message to see it in flag semaphore, the code where a signaller spells letters by holding two flags in set positions. Tap any figure to see it large, or show the message one letter at a time.
The semaphore alphabet
Drawn as you see the signaller, facing you. A to I also mean 1 to 9, and K means 0, after the Numerals sign.
How flag semaphore works
The signaller holds a flag in each hand and points each arm in one of eight directions: down, up, out to either side, or halfway between. Each pair of positions is a letter. The message is read when the flags are held still, one letter at a time.
Numbers and letters
Semaphore uses the same positions for numbers and letters: A to I also mean 1 to 9, and K means 0. To send a number, the signaller first shows the Numerals sign; to go back to letters, J. The translator adds both signs for you.
Where it comes from
Flag semaphore dates from 1866, as a handheld version of the optical telegraph of Home Riggs Popham, which used towers with moving arms. It is still used at sea when ships replenish side by side. Scouts learn it next to Morse code, which works by sound and light instead of arm positions.
Source: English Wikipedia, “Flag semaphore”.
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