Morse Code Symbols and Sounds

The popular view of Morse code (aka CW, Continuous Wave) as a collection of dots and dashes is the first thing to forget when trying to learn morse code! For this reason, you will not find the usual table of letters and their corresponding dot/dash equivalents. What you will see is a table of the letters and their sound equivalents.

It is far better to learn to associate a letter with a sound from the beginning, rather than trying to translate the sound into a letter via dots and dashes. The table below shows the sounds for the letters, numbers, punctuation and some of the common procedural signals often used in amateur radio contacts.

The letters of the alphabet

Letter Code Letter Code
A di-dah N dah-dit
B dah-di-di-dit O dah-dah-dah
C dah-di-dah-dit P di-dah-dah-dit
D dah-di-dit Q dah-dah-di-dah
E dit R di-dah-dit
F di-di-dah-dit S di-di-dit
G dah-dah-dit T dah
H di-di-di-dit U di-di-dah
I di-dit V di-di-di-dah
J di-dah-dah-dah W di-dah-dah
K dah-di-dah X dah-di-di-dah
L di-dah-di-dit Y dah-di-dah-dah
M dah-dah Z dah-dah-di-dit

The numbers

Number Code Number Code
1 di-dah-dah-dah-dah 6 dah-di-di-di-dit
2 di-di-dah-dah-dah 7 dah-dah-di-di-dit
3 di-di-di-dah-dah 8 dah-dah-dah-di-dit
4 di-di-di-di-dah 9 dah-dah-dah-dah-dit
5 di-di-di-di-dit 0 dah-dah-dah-dah-dah

Puncutation

Symbol Code Symbol Code
Error di-di-di-di-di-di-di-dit ? di-di-dah-dah-di-dit
, dah-dah-di-di-dah-dah + di-dah-di-dah-dit
. di-dah-di-dah-di-dah @ di-dah-dah-di-dah-dit
! dah-di-dah-di-dah-dah : dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit
; dah-di-dah-di-dah-dit - dah-di-di-di-di-dah
( dah-di-dah-dah-dit ) dah-di-dah-dah-di-dah
' di-dah-dah-dah-dah-dit $ di-di-di-dah-di-di-dah
" di-dah-di-di-dah-dit = dah-di-di-di-dah
/ dah-di-di-dah-dit

Common Prosigns

Prosign Code Description
AR di-dah-di-dah-dit End of message (+)
BK dah-di-di-di-dah-di-dah Break
BT dah-di-di-di-dah New paragraph (=)
KN dah-di-dah-dah-dit Named station to transmit
SK di-di-di-dah-di-dah End of transmission