Morse Code Reference

Your ultimate dots and dashes cheat sheet

Your Ultimate Morse Code Cheat Sheet

Welcome to the most comprehensive (and hopefully least boring) Morse code reference on the internet! Whether you're cramming for your ham radio exam or just trying to impress friends with your dot-dash fluency, this is your one-stop shop for all things beepy.

🎯 Quick Start Tips

Start with E, T, I, A

These are the most common letters and have the simplest patterns. Master these first!

Think Rhythm, Not Symbols

Don't count dots and dashes—listen for the musical rhythm each letter makes.

Use Memory Tricks

We've included mnemonics for tricky letters. They might seem silly, but they work!

The Alphabet (A-Z)

Click any letter to hear its Morse code sound!

A·−
B−···
C−·−·
D−··
E·
F··−·
G−−·
H····
I··
J·−−−
K−·−
L·−··
M−−
N−·
O−−−
P·−−·
Q−−·−
R·−·
S···
T
U··−
V···−
W·−−
X−··−
Y−·−−
Z−−··

Numbers (0-9)

Click any number to hear its Morse code sound!

1·−−−−
2··−−−
3···−−
4····−
5·····
6−····
7−−···
8−−−··
9−−−−·
0−−−−−

Common Punctuation

Click any symbol to hear its Morse code sound!

.·−·−·−
,−−··−−
?··−−··
'·−−−−·
!−·−·−−
/−··−·
(−·−−·
)−·−−·−
&·−···
:−−−···
;−·−·−·
=−···−

The Secret Science Behind the Timing

Morse code isn't just random beeps—it's precisely timed! Here's the mathematical beauty behind those dots and dashes:

Dot Duration: 1 Unit

This is your basic building block. Everything else is measured against this tiny "dit."

Dash Duration: 3 Units

Exactly three times longer than a dot. Not 2.5, not 3.2—exactly 3.

Between Elements: 1 Unit

The pause between dots and dashes within the same letter.

⌐⌐⌐
Between Letters: 3 Units

Long enough to know one letter ended and another began.

⌐⌐⌐⌐⌐⌐⌐
Between Words: 7 Units

A nice long pause so you know a word has ended.

Famous Morse Code Phrases

These iconic sequences have made their mark on history:

SOS ··· −−− ···

The universal distress signal. Not "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls"—just three easy-to-recognize letters!

CQ −·−· −−·−

"Calling all stations" in ham radio speak. It's like shouting "Is anyone out there?" into the radio void.

73 −−··· ···−−

Ham radio code for "best wishes"—the friendly way to end a Morse code conversation.

88 −−−·· −−−··

Ham radio code for "love and kisses"—because even telegraph operators needed to show affection!

Pro Learning Strategies

🎵 The Koch Method

Learn a few letters at full speed rather than all letters at slow speed. Start with 20 WPM timing but only 2 letters. Your brain learns the rhythm correctly from day one!

🧠 Word Association

Create mental images for each letter. "V" is "Victory" (Beethoven's 5th Symphony). "Q" is "Queen may die"—dramatic but memorable!

⚡ Pattern Recognition

Don't count elements—listen for the rhythm. "C" has a distinctive "dah-di-dah-dit" swing that sounds like "Come-here-come-here."

🎯 Common Words First

Master "THE," "AND," "OF" before tackling "XYLEM" or "QUARTZ." You'll recognize 80% of English text with just the top 100 words!

🚀 Ready to Put This Knowledge to Work?

This reference will always be here when you need it, but the real magic happens when you stop reading and start listening. Head back to the game and test your new knowledge—those patterns will start making sense faster than you think!

Practice What You've Learned