Morse Code Punctuation

A complete punctuation chart with dots and dashes, audio playback, usage notes, and International Morse timing.

Spacing rule: every punctuation mark is one Morse character. Do not insert spaces between the dots and dashes shown in a single pattern.

Complete Morse Punctuation Chart

Press Play to hear any mark at 14 WPM.

MarkNameMorse codeTypical useAudio
.Period / full stop.-.-.-End a sentence
,Comma--..--Separate clauses or list items
?Question mark..--..End a question
'Apostrophe.----.Contractions and possession
!Exclamation mark-.-.--Emphasis; widely used extension
/Slash-..-.Fractions, alternatives, portable callsigns
(Opening parenthesis-.--.Open a parenthetical phrase
)Closing parenthesis-.--.-Close a parenthetical phrase
&Ampersand.-...The word “and”
:Colon---...Introduce a list or time
;Semicolon-.-.-.Join related clauses; common extension
=Equals / double dash-...-Separation; also BT prosign pattern
+Plus sign.-.-.Addition; also AR prosign pattern
@At sign.--.-.Email addresses
_Underscore..--.-Common digital-text extension
"Quotation mark.-..-.Quoted speech
-Hyphen / minus-....-Compound words or subtraction

How Punctuation Works in Morse Code

Morse code punctuation uses longer patterns than most letters because each mark must remain distinct. A period is .-.-.-, a comma is --..--, and a question mark is ..--...

Timing Punctuation Correctly

  • Dot: one timing unit.
  • Dash: three units.
  • Gap inside one punctuation character: one unit.
  • Gap before the next character: three units.
  • Gap between words: seven units.

For normal text conversion, use the Morse code translator. For the full letters-and-numbers reference, open the cheat sheet.

Common Punctuation Patterns

Sentence Endings

Period .-.-.-, question mark ..--.., and exclamation mark -.-.--.

Separators

Comma --..--, colon ---..., semicolon -.-.-., and slash -..-..

Digital Text

At sign .--.-. and underscore ..--.- support email-style text.

Frequently Asked Questions

A period or full stop is .-.-.-. Keep one element gap inside the character.