Morse Code Alphabet

Every letter, number and punctuation mark in international Morse code. Tap a key to hear it.

Letters

Numbers

Punctuation

Accented letters

Used in languages other than English. Some share a code: À and Å, Ä and Æ, È and Ł, Ö and Ø.

Prosigns

Procedure signs are sent as one character, without the gap between letters. Some match a punctuation mark: <AR> is the same as +, <BT> the same as =.

How to read the chart

A dot (.) is a short signal and a dash (-) is three times as long. Inside a letter, the signals are separated by a gap one dot long. Between letters the gap is three dots, between words seven. When you write Morse code down, put a space between letters and a slash between words: .... .. / - .... . .-. . reads HI THERE.

Memory tips

The best way to learn Morse code is by sound, and the trainer is built for that. These patterns help you make sense of the chart and check what you hear:

The most common letters are the shortest. E is one dot and T is one dash. I (..), A (.-), N (-.) and M (--) are the four two-symbol letters.
Opposites come in pairs. A (.-) and N (-.) are mirror images, as are D (-..) and U (..-), G (--.) and W (.--), B (-...) and V (...-), and Q (--.-) and Y (-.--).
Count up the dots. E, I, S, H, 5 are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 dots. T, M, O, 0 are 1, 2, 3 and 5 dashes.
Numbers follow a rule. Every digit has five symbols. 1 to 5 start with as many dots as the number and fill up with dashes; 6 to 9 and 0 start with dashes and end with dots. So 2 is ..--- and 7 is --...
Hear the rhythm, not the symbols. Say "di" for a dot inside a letter and "dah" for a dash: C is dah-di-dah-dit, Q is dah-dah-di-dah. Saying it out loud is closer to the sound than seeing it.

International and American Morse code

This chart shows international Morse code, the version used worldwide by radio amateurs, ships and aviation beacons. The original American Morse code, used on railroad telegraphs in the 1800s, had different codes for many letters and gaps inside some letters. It is almost extinct, and when people say Morse code today they mean the international version.

Questions and answers

How many letters are in the Morse code alphabet?

The international Morse code alphabet has 26 letters, A to Z, plus the digits 0 to 9 and a set of punctuation marks. Several languages add codes for their own letters, such as Ä, Ö, Ü, É and Ñ.

What is the easiest way to memorize Morse code?

Learn it by sound, not by looking at dots and dashes. Each letter has a rhythm, so E is a short beep and T a long one. Start with a few letters at full speed and add one at a time, as in the Koch method used in our trainer.

Which Morse code letters are the shortest?

E (one dot) and T (one dash). The most common letters in English got the shortest codes, so messages are faster to send.

Are numbers always five symbols long?

Yes. Every digit is five symbols. 1 to 5 start with dots and end with dashes, and 6 to 0 start with dashes and end with dots, so 1 is .---- and 6 is -....

Can I print this Morse code chart?

Yes. Press Print chart or use your browser's print command. The chart prints on one page in black and white, without the rest of the site.