Learning the alphabet
The quickest way to learn Morse code is by sound, not by looking at the dots and dashes. Press each letter to hear it, and try to recognise its rhythm as a whole. Say dots as di or dit and dashes as dah: A is di-dah, and B is dah-di-di-dit.
Begin with the shortest letters: E is a single dot, T a single dash, then I, A, N and M. These are also among the most common letters in English, which is no accident. When the code was designed, the shortest signals went to the letters used most often.
Numbers are easy to learn as a set. Each one has five signals: 1 to 5 start with dots and end with dashes, and 6 to 0 start with dashes and end with dots.
Procedure signals
Procedure signals, or prosigns, are sent as one run of signals with no gap between the letters. The best known is SOS, the distress signal. AR marks the end of a message, SK the end of contact, and BT separates parts of a message.
Other alphabets
Many writing systems have their own Morse code. Russian, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and Persian Morse mostly reuse the international codes for letters with similar sounds, while Japanese Wabun and Korean SKATS have their own tables. Use the tabs to see each one.
Questions and answers
What is the easiest way to learn Morse code?
Learn each letter by its sound rather than by counting dots and dashes, starting with short common letters like E, T, A and N, and practise a few minutes every day.
What is SOS in Morse code?
Three dots, three dashes, three dots (...---...), sent as one signal without gaps between the letters.
How are numbers written in Morse code?
Every number has five signals. 1 is .----, 5 is ....., and 0 is -----.
Do other languages have Morse code?
Yes. This chart includes Russian, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Japanese and Korean Morse alphabets.