How to Learn Morse Code
The best way to learn Morse code is by sound. Learn each letter as a short rhythm that you hear, not as a row of dots and dashes that you see. This is the advice of the ARRL, the national association of radio amateurs in the United States.
This guide explains why sound works better, the two best known training methods, which letters to start with, a simple study plan and the mistakes that slow learners down.
Why learn Morse code by sound?
Morse code is heard far more often than it is read. If you learn the chart by sight, you have to translate twice: from the sound to dots and dashes, and from dots and dashes to a letter. That is too slow for real use.
The ARRL puts it like this: rather than using dots and dashes, it is best to learn the Morse code alphabet by the way it sounds, as dits and dahs.
| Written | Spoken | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| . | dit | E |
| - | dah | T |
| .- | di-dah | A |
| -. | dah-dit | N |
| ... | di-di-dit | S |
| --- | dah-dah-dah | O |
A dit is the short signal and a dah is the long one. Say the pattern aloud as one word, and the letter becomes a sound you recognise, like a short tune.
The Koch method
The Koch method teaches Morse code at full speed from the first day, two letters at a time. It was developed in 1936 by Ludwig Koch, according to Wikipedia's article on Morse code.
- Start with only two characters, sent at the speed you want to reach.
- Listen to random strings of the two and write down what you hear.
- When you copy them with 90 percent accuracy, add one more character.
- Repeat until you know the whole set.
The point of the method is that you never learn a slow version that you have to unlearn later. Each letter is learned as a sound at its real speed.
The Farnsworth method
The Farnsworth method sends each character fast but leaves longer gaps between the characters. The ARRL describes it as characters sent at a faster speed than the words.
| Standard timing | Farnsworth timing | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of a single letter | Matches the overall speed | Fast, for example the speed of 18 words per minute |
| Gap between letters and words | 3 and 7 units | Longer, so the overall speed is slow |
| What you learn | Can lead to counting dots and dashes | The sound of each letter, with time to think |
As you improve, the gaps are shortened until the timing is standard. The two methods fit together: many courses use Koch's order of adding letters with Farnsworth's long gaps.
Which letters to learn first
If you learn from a chart, without a course, go from the short letters to the long ones. Morse code has letters of one to four signals.
| Step | Signals | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | E, T |
| 2 | 2 | A, I, M, N |
| 3 | 3 | D, G, K, O, R, S, U, W |
| 4 | 4 | B, C, F, H, J, L, P, Q, V, X, Y, Z |
| 5 | 5 | The digits 0 to 9 |
With the six letters of the first two steps you can already write words such as TEA, MAN, TIME and NAME. The full chart with every pattern is in the guide to the Morse code alphabet.
A simple study plan
- Short and often. Ten to fifteen minutes every day works better than one long session a week.
- Listen first. Use recordings. The ARRL offers an archive of code practice files at speeds from 5 to 40 words per minute.
- Write what you hear. Copy on paper without looking at a chart. Leave a gap for what you miss and keep going.
- Add letters slowly. Do not add a new character until the old ones are safe.
- Send as well as receive. Tap the patterns on a table or say them in dits and dahs. Sending fixes the rhythm in memory.
- Use real words early. Your name, common short words and SOS keep practice interesting.
How long it takes depends on the person and the practice, so this guide gives no number of days. Regular short sessions matter more than talent.
How to check your work with a translator
A Morse code translator is useful as an answer key. Write a word in Morse code from memory, then type the word in the tool and compare the result with what you wrote.
- Write a word in dots and dashes on paper, with a space between letters.
- Type the same word in the translator.
- Compare letter by letter and repeat the ones you got wrong.
It also works the other way. Choose Morse to text, type your dots and dashes, and see whether the tool reads the word you meant. Our translator shows written code only and does not play sound, so use it next to audio practice, not in place of it.
Mistakes that slow you down
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Counting dots and dashes | It breaks down at any real speed | Learn the whole sound of a letter |
| Learning from a picture chart only | You learn to see, not to hear | Listen to recordings from the start |
| Learning very slowly sent letters | The slow sound is a different sound | Fast letters with long gaps |
| Stopping at a missed letter | You lose the next five | Skip it and keep copying |
| Long, rare sessions | Most of it is forgotten in between | A few minutes every day |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the fastest way to learn Morse code?
- Learn by sound with the Koch method: two characters at full speed, and one more each time you copy with 90 percent accuracy.
- What are dits and dahs?
- The spoken names of the two signals. A dit is the short one, written as a dot. A dah is the long one, written as a dash.
- Which letters should I learn first?
- From a chart, start with the shortest: E and T, then A, I, M and N. A Koch course has its own order.
- Can I learn Morse code from a chart?
- You can learn to write it from a chart. To understand it by ear you need to practise with sound.
- Do I need Morse code for an amateur radio licence?
- In the United States, no. The test was removed from all amateur licences in 2007, according to Wikipedia's article on Morse code.