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First you may ask,”what is morse code?”  Morse code is an alphabetic code devised of short and long sounds.  Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sound or series of sounds that represent it.  Long sounds are referred to as dashes and the short sounds are dots.

Morse code was invented by Samuel F.B. Morse and it was designed for quick transmissions via telegraph. It was first used in the 1840s and it is still used today.  However, today it is primarily used by amateur radio operators.  Even though it was designed for use with the telegraph there are numerous other ways to communicate using Morse code.  For example, you can use a flashlight to signal out the dots and dashes with light. Below are some tips to help you learn how to speak and understand Morse code.

1.  Listen to some slow Morse code recordings.  You will be listening for a series of dots and dashes (dits and dahs). Dots or dits are short sounds and Dashes or dahs are long sounds, usually 3 times longer than a dot.  Each letter is separated with a short pause and each word by a pause that is 3 times longer.  You can look for free recordings or purchase them online.  You may even consider purchasing a short-wave receiver to listen to the real thing in action.  Some prefer the Farnsworth method, which involves listening to the code at high speed but with long spaces in between leters.  As your proficiency improves the spaces are reduced.

A basic Morse Code chart

2. Reference a copy of the Morse Code alphabet.  You can learn from using a basic chart that just includes the alphabetic letters or you may choose to use a more advanced chart that includes punctuation, abbreviations, prosigns, and Q Codes.  Listen to a recording or live code and try to match up what you heard.  For some, it may be easier to learn by writing down the letters using the dots and dashes and then comparing it to a chart.

3. Practice translating simple words and sentences into Morse code.  In the beginning it may be easier to write it down then sounding it out.  However, eventually you will need to be able to transition straight to sounding it out.  Try it with the word “cat”.  -.-.   .-   -  it would be pronounced as:  dah-di-dah-di di-dah dah

4. Try memorizing the easy letters first.  For example, a single dah is a “T” and a single dit is an “E”.  The progress to the letter “M” (dah-dah) and the letter “I” (dit-dit).  Then begin to memorize the letters  that have 3 or 4 dits or dahs in a row.  Once you’ve mastered this then memorize the combinations.

5. Try using associations.  When trying to learn the letters think of things that sound alike.  For example: the letter “C” is dah-dit-dah-dit (long short long short).   Next try to think of a word that starts with c that uses that pattern like catastrophic or Nanny for N because it is dah-dit.  Another option is to associate the Morse code pronunciations with tunes or melodies.  A great example of this would be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  It begins with dit-dit-dit-day, which translates to the letter “V”, which is the Roman numeral 5.

6. Get others involved!  If you get your friends to learn with you, it may be easier.  You may even learn how to blink code to send messages to your friends when you are in an unpleasant situation.  You can use written morse cods as sort of a secret language.  You can even give someone a Morse Code greeting card.

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