MorseCodeGenerator.com — cheat sheet
International Morse Code per ITU-R M.1677-1. PARIS-standard timing.
morsecodegenerator.com
Alphabet (A–Z)
A .-
B -...
C -.-.
D -..
E .
F ..-.
G --.
H ....
I ..
J .---
K -.-
L .-..
M --
N -.
O ---
P .--.
Q --.-
R .-.
S ...
T -
U ..-
V ...-
W .--
X -..-
Y -.--
Z --..
Numbers (0–9)
0 -----
1 .----
2 ..---
3 ...--
4 ....-
5 .....
6 -....
7 --...
8 ---..
9 ----.
Punctuation
_ ..--.-
- -....-
, --..--
; -.-.-.
: ---...
! -.-.--
? ..--..
. .-.-.-
' .----.
" .-..-.
( -.--.
) -.--.-
@ .--.-.
/ -..-.
& .-...
+ .-.-.
= -...-
$ ...-..-
Prosigns (sent as one shape, no inter-letter gap)
| AR | .-.-. | End of message (+) |
| BT | -...- | New paragraph (=) |
| SK | ...-.- | End of contact |
| KN | -.--. | Go ahead, named station only |
| K | -.- | Go ahead (any station) |
| R | .-. | Received / roger |
| SOS | ...---... | International distress |
Top Q-codes
| QTH | What is your location? |
| QSY | Shall I change frequency? |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? |
| QSL | Can you acknowledge receipt? |
| QRM | Is there man-made interference on my signal? |
| QRN | Are you troubled by static (natural noise)? |
| QRP | Shall I decrease transmit power? |
| QRO | Shall I increase transmit power? |
| QRS | Shall I send slower? |
| QRT | Shall I stop sending? |
Full set: /q-codes/
Top CW abbreviations
| 73 | Best regards |
| 88 | Love and kisses |
| CQ | Calling any station |
| DE | From / this is |
| DX | Long distance |
| TNX | Thanks |
| TU | Thank you |
| FB | Fine business (excellent) |
| RST | Signal report (Readability/Strength/Tone) |
| PSE | Please |
Full set: /abbreviations/
Timing (PARIS standard)
| Unit length | 1200 / WPM milliseconds |
| Dit (·) | 1 unit |
| Dah (−) | 3 units |
| Intra-character gap | 1 unit |
| Inter-letter gap | 3 units |
| Inter-word gap | 7 units |
| Example — 20 WPM | 1 unit = 60 ms · dit 60 ms · dah 180 ms |
Interactive: /timing-calculator/ · Farnsworth mode included.
A 60-second history
- 1844 — Samuel Morse sends "What hath God wrought" Washington → Baltimore.
- 1865 — International Morse adopted at the ITU's first conference.
- 1906 — SOS adopted internationally at the Berlin Radiotelegraph Convention.
- 1999 — Maritime distress retires Morse for the GMDSS system.
- Today — CW is still widely used in amateur radio (no longer a licence requirement in most countries; the US dropped its test in 2007) and in aviation beacon IDs.
Quick-start tips
- Learn at a character speed too fast to count (12 WPM or more), with Farnsworth spacing if you need time. Slow characters invite counting.
- Write letters, not dots and dashes. Translating symbols can't keep up as the speed rises.
- Practise every day with the Koch trainer, in sessions of up to half an hour. Regular beats long.
- Listen to real on-air CW as soon as you can copy 12 WPM. Slow-speed nets are designed for learners.