Morse Code Alphabet: Full Chart and How to Read and Write It

Morse code turns letters and numbers into short and long signals that can be sent by sound, light or radio. It is still used by amateur radio operators, taught in scouting and aviation, and loved as a puzzle and a secret-message game. This guide gives you the complete international Morse code alphabet, the timing rules, and a simple method to read and write it. To translate any text instantly — and hear it — use the free Morse Code Translator.

How Morse code works

Every character is a short pattern of two signals:

• A dot (also called a “dit”) is the short signal.
• A dash (a “dah”) is the long signal and lasts three times as long as a dot.

The international standard, maintained by the International Telecommunication Union as Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1, sets both the codes and the timing. The most common English letters have the shortest codes — E is a single dot and T a single dash — which makes messages faster to send.

Morse code alphabet chart: letters A–Z

• 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 --..

Morse code numbers 0–9

Numbers always have five signals, which makes them easy to learn as a pattern:

• 1 .---- · 2 ..--- · 3 ...-- · 4 ....- · 5 .....
• 6 -.... · 7 --... · 8 ---.. · 9 ----. · 0 -----

From 1 to 5 the dots grow from the left; from 6 to 0 the dashes do.

Punctuation and special signals

• Full stop .-.-.- · Comma --..-- · Question mark ..--.. · Apostrophe .----.
• Slash -..-. · Hyphen -....- · Colon ---... · Quotation mark .-..-.
• Open bracket -.--. · Close bracket -.--.- · Equals -...- · Plus .-.-. · @ .--.-.
• Error: eight dots ........ — the sender repeats the last word correctly after it.

Timing rules: dots, dashes and spaces

Morse code is a rhythm, so spacing matters as much as the signals. Everything is measured in “units”, where one unit is the length of a dot:

1. Dot = 1 unit, dash = 3 units.
2. Gap between signals inside one letter = 1 unit.
3. Gap between letters = 3 units.
4. Gap between words = 7 units.

In written Morse, people show letter gaps with a space and word gaps with a slash ( / ), for example .... .. / - .... . .-. . for HI THERE.

How to read Morse code

1. Split the message into words at each slash or long pause.
2. Split each word into letters at each space or short pause.
3. Look up each pattern in the chart, starting with the very common short ones (E, T, I, A, N, M).
4. Write the letters down in order and read the word.

Example: -- --- .-. ... . → M (--), O (---), R (.-.), S (...), E (.) = MORSE.

How to write a message in Morse code

1. Write your message in capital letters and remove characters Morse does not cover, such as # or emoji.
2. Replace each letter with its code and put one space between letters.
3. Put a slash between words.

Example: HELLO WORLD = .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..

SOS in Morse code

SOS is ... --- ... — three dots, three dashes, three dots. In distress use it is sent as one continuous signal without letter gaps, which is why it is so easy to recognise. The letters do not stand for any words; the pattern was chosen because it is simple and unmistakable.

Sending Morse code with sound, light or taps

Because Morse is only a rhythm of short and long signals, you can send it with almost anything. Radio operators use a tone from a key, ships and hikers have used a torch or signal lamp, and people have tapped messages on a table or a pipe. Keep the same timing whatever you use: a short signal for a dot, one three times longer for a dash, a pause of three dots between letters and seven between words. Light and tapping are slower to read than sound, so send them at a gentle pace.

Tips for learning Morse code

• Learn by sound, not by sight. Listen to whole letters as rhythms (“di-dah” for A) instead of counting dots and dashes.
• Use full-speed letters with longer gaps (the Farnsworth method), so each letter keeps its natural rhythm while you have time to think.
• Start with a few letters, such as E, T, A, N, I, M and S, O, then add new ones each day.
• Practise 10–15 minutes a day rather than one long session.
• Type a word into the translator, press play, and try to write it down before you look at the answer.

Frequently asked questions