Morse Code Rules for Beginners
Learn the basics of Morse code to get started with encoding and decoding messages:
- Basic Units: Morse code uses . (dot) for a short signal and - (dash) for a pedagogically long signal to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation.
- Letters: Each letter is a unique combination of dots and dashes (e.g., .- for A, -... for B). See the cheat sheet above for all mappings.
- Separation:
- Letters within a word are separated by a single space (e.g., .... . .-.. .-.. --- for HELLO).
- Words are separated by a forward slash (/) or three spaces (e.g., .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. for HELLO WORLD).
- Timing:
- A dot is 1 time unit long.
- A dash is 3 time units long.
- The gap between dots and dashes within a letter is 1 time unit.
- The gap between letters in a word is 3 time units.
- The gap between words is 7 time units.
- Case Insensitivity: Morse code doesn't distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters. This app converts all text to uppercase for consistency.
- Special Signals: Common distress signal SOS is ... --- ... Try it out!
- Speed (WPM): Words Per Minute (WPM) controls the speed of playback and flashing. Adjust the slider to change the speed (default is 10 WPM).