Learn · Morse code
Learn Morse code
Learn each character by its sound, at real speed, starting with two. Then copy words, call signs and a whole park contact, and practice sending. A few minutes a day is enough.
Press Start. You’ll hear two characters, K and M, then tap what you hear.
Type on a keyboard, or press the space bar to hear it again.
Your characters 2 of 40
- K
- M
Solid Still learning New
Next character after 20 more answers in Letters, if you’re getting nearly all of them right.
Settings
Letters always play at full speed with no noise. Spacing stretches the gaps between characters, not the characters themselves.
Show the Morse chart
Tap a character to hear it. Learn each one by its sound rather than counting the dots.
Letters
Numbers
dit (short) dah (long, three dits)
How it works
This is the Koch method, the way most Morse courses teach today. You start with two characters sent at full speed. When you’re getting 18 of your last 20 right, a new one is added, until you know all 40: the letters, the numbers and the punctuation hams use.
Characters are sent at 20 words per minute from the start because Morse sounds different slowed down. At full speed each character is a rhythm you recognize, like a word, rather than dits and dahs you count. For words and contacts, extra space between characters gives you time to think while the characters keep their real sound.
Words and call signs use only the characters you’ve learned, so they open up as you go (call signs need a number, which comes at character 23). The park contact uses everything, like the real thing.
Send has a big key to hold for each dit and dah (or hold the space bar). It reads back what you sent, works out your speed, and draws your rhythm above perfect timing so you can see what to fix.
Tips
- Practice 10 to 15 minutes a day. Short and often beats long and rare.
- Don’t count dits and dahs. Listen for the whole sound, and guess if you’re not sure.
- Getting stuck on two similar characters is normal. They come up more until they click.
- Use headphones or a quiet room, and pick a pitch you like listening to.
- No sound on an iPhone? Turn the volume up; if it stays quiet, check the silent switch.
When you know them all
Try real signals with the Morse decoder checking your copy, and the free courses and W1AW practice files in the toolbox. On the air, send at a speed you can copy yourself, and a little slower is always polite.
Your progress is saved in this browser, and to your account if you’re signed in, so it follows you to other devices. Your progress shows on the progress page too.