Morse Code Alphabet Explained

How the International Morse alphabet works: starter letters, lookalikes, timing, and links to the interactive A–Z chart.

Direct answer: The Morse alphabet is 26 International (ITU) letter patterns built from dots and dashes. Meaning comes from element length and spacing — not from the printed dots alone. Use the interactive alphabet chart to hear each letter.

Morse Code Alphabet Explained

Each Latin letter maps to a unique International Morse pattern. E is one dit (.); T is one dah (-); more complex letters combine those elements with one-unit gaps inside the character.

This page explains how the alphabet works. The Morse code alphabet hub is the click-to-hear chart for daily use.

Learn These Letters First

LetterMorseWhy
E.Shortest · most common
T-Single dah
A / N.- / -.Mirror pair
I / M.. / --Two dits vs two dahs
S / O... / ---Three dits / dahs · SOS

Alphabet Lookalikes

S vs H vs 5

Three, four, or five dits — count fails; listen to length of the whole run.

A vs N

Same elements, reversed order — rhythm distinguishes them.

B vs D vs 6

Leading dah then dits; wrong gap turns letters into digits.

Charts Without Timing

A printed A–Z without spacing rules is incomplete — read timing.

What to Do After the Alphabet

Alphabet FAQ

26 Latin letters (A–Z) in International Morse, plus digits and punctuation as separate sets.