Reckoning / Signal / Morse code
Signal · ITU-R M.1677-1
Morse code
Everything in Morse is counted in one unit: a dot is one unit long, a dash three, and the silences between elements, letters and words are one, three and seven. Speed is given in words per minute, using the word PARIS (exactly 50 units) as the standard word.
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Train your ear
Then and now
Some older manuals gave five units between words; the ITU recommendation uses seven. Tick the box above to hear the difference. The commercial at (·−−·−·) was added in 2004 so that e-mail addresses could be sent.
Timing
| Element | Units |
|---|---|
| dot | 1 |
| dash | 3 |
| gap inside a letter | 1 |
| gap between letters | 3 |
| gap between words | 7 |
At a speed of w words per minute one unit lasts 1.2/w seconds: 60 s divided by 50 units per word.
The code
| Sign | Code | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | −−·· | |
| 1 | ·−−−− | |
| 2 | ··−−− | |
| 3 | ···−− | |
| 4 | ····− | |
| 5 | ····· | |
| 6 | −···· | |
| 7 | −−··· | |
| 8 | −−−·· | |
| 9 | −−−−· | |
| 0 | −−−−− | |
| . | ·−·−·− | full stop |
| , | −−··−− | comma |
| : | −−−··· | colon |
| ? | ··−−·· | question mark |
| ' | ·−−−−· | apostrophe |
| - | −····− | hyphen |
| / | −··−· | fraction bar |
| ( | −·−−· | open bracket |
| ) | −·−−·− | close bracket |
| " | ·−··−· | quotation marks |
| = | −···− | double hyphen (break) |
| + | ·−·−· | cross (end of message) |
| @ | ·−−·−· | commercial at (added 2004) |
Procedure signals
| Signal | Code | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Starting signal | −·−·− | Sent before each transmission. |
| Invitation to transmit (K) | −·− | Over to you. |
| Wait (AS) | ·−··· | Wait. |
| Understood (SN) | ···−· | Message received and understood. |
| Error | ········ | Eight dots: the last word or group was wrong; it follows corrected. |
| Cross (AR) | ·−·−· | End of the message (end of telegram). |
| End of work (SK) | ···−·− | End of the whole exchange. |
Source: Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1: International Morse code.