Morse LabThe Morse code alphabet
This is the complete International Morse Code as standardized by the ITU: 26 letters, 10 digits, and the punctuation you will actually meet. One honest warning before the table: a chart is for looking things up, not for learning. If you memorize these symbols visually, you build a translation table in your head that collapses at speed. How to learn the code properly is covered in our guide — by ear, at full character speed.
A dot is written here as ·, a dash as −. A dash lasts exactly three times as long as a dot.
Letters
| Adit dah | Bdah dit dit dit | Cdah dit dah dit | Ddah dit dit | Edit | Fdit dit dah dit |
| Gdah dah dit | Hdit dit dit dit | Idit dit | Jdit dah dah dah | Kdah dit dah | Ldit dah dit dit |
| Mdah dah | Ndah dit | Odah dah dah | Pdit dah dah dit | Qdah dah dit dah | Rdit dah dit |
| Sdit dit dit | Tdah | Udit dit dah | Vdit dit dit dah | Wdit dah dah | Xdah dit dit dah |
| Ydah dit dah dah | Zdah dah dit dit |
Digits
| 1dit dah dah dah dah | 2dit dit dah dah dah | 3dit dit dit dah dah | 4dit dit dit dit dah | 5dit dit dit dit dit |
| 6dah dit dit dit dit | 7dah dah dit dit dit | 8dah dah dah dit dit | 9dah dah dah dah dit | 0dah dah dah dah dah |
The digits follow a beautiful system: from 1 to 5, dots fill up from the left; from 6 to 0, dashes replace them. Once you hear the pattern, you never need the table again.
Common punctuation
| Sign | Code | Sign | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period . | dit dah dit dah dit dah | Comma , | dah dah dit dit dah dah |
| Question mark ? | dit dit dah dah dit dit | Slash / | dah dit dit dah dit |
| Equals = | dah dit dit dit dah |
The timing rules
Morse code is entirely a code of time. Everything is measured in one unit — the length of a dot:
- Dot: 1 unit · Dash: 3 units
- Gap between elements inside a character: 1 unit
- Gap between characters: 3 units
- Gap between words: 7 units
Speed is given in words per minute (WPM), measured with the standard word PARIS, which is exactly 50 units long. At 20 WPM a dot lasts 60 milliseconds; the letter R (dit dah dit) takes about four tenths of a second. This is why counting dots and dashes stops working long before useful speeds: at 20 WPM there is simply no time to count. There is only time to recognize the rhythm — which is exactly what proper training builds.
Farnsworth timing
Beginners face a dilemma: characters should sound fast (so you learn the real rhythm), but a fast overall pace is overwhelming. The standard solution is Farnsworth timing: characters are kept at full speed, while the gaps between characters and words are stretched. A common starting point is 20 WPM character speed at an effective pace of 10 WPM. As you improve, the gaps shrink — the characters never change.
What about SOS?
The most famous signal of all, dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, is sent as one continuous sequence without letter gaps — technically a single nine-element character. It was chosen for its unmistakable rhythm, not for any words behind it; readings like "Save Our Souls" came later.
Ready to stop reading and start hearing? Learn the code properly — or jump straight in: