What Is Morse Code?

Morse code is a communication system that encodes characters into sequences of short and long signals. Each dot represents one unit of time, and each dash takes three units. Standard spacing ensures messages are readable at any speed.

Timing and Speed

• Dot = 1 unit
• Dash = 3 units
• Intra-character gap = 1 unit
• Between characters = 3 units
• Between words = 7 units

Training often uses Farnsworth spacing: characters are sent at a higher speed, but the gaps between them are increased to make overall speed lower and easier to copy.