# Morse Code Alphabet A to Z and 0–9: Chart and Study Plan

*2026-09-11*

`A` is `· −`; `N` is `− ·`. The two letters use the same signals in opposite orders, which is easy to check on paper and surprisingly easy to mix up from memory. Hearing either one as a complete rhythm is a different skill again.

Use this **Morse code alphabet A to Z** reference to check the 26 letters and ten digits. Two-way visual cards can then train printed patterns in both directions. If your goal is receiving CW by ear, pair them with sound from day one instead of waiting until the chart feels “finished.”

The chart and timing below follow [Recommendation ITU-R M.1677-1](https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-M.1677-1-200910-I/en), the ITU's current in-force recommendation for International Morse code. Its [official PDF](https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/m/R-REC-M.1677-1-200910-I!!PDF-E.pdf) is the source for every A–Z and 0–9 mapping on this page.

**Facts checked:** September 11, 2026.

![A learner listens with eyes closed while an instructor taps a rhythm beside mirrored short-and-long wooden markers](/blog/morse-code-alphabet.png)

## Complete Morse code alphabet A to Z chart

The spaces between symbols below make the written patterns easier to inspect. They are not instructions to pause equally between every visible mark; Morse timing has its own ratios, covered after the charts.

| Letter | Morse code | Letter | Morse code |
| :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: |
| A | `· −` | N | `− ·` |
| B | `− · · ·` | O | `− − −` |
| C | `− · − ·` | P | `· − − ·` |
| D | `− · ·` | Q | `− − · −` |
| E | `·` | R | `· − ·` |
| F | `· · − ·` | S | `· · ·` |
| G | `− − ·` | T | `−` |
| H | `· · · ·` | U | `· · −` |
| I | `· ·` | V | `· · · −` |
| J | `· − − −` | W | `· − −` |
| K | `− · −` | X | `− · · −` |
| L | `· − · ·` | Y | `− · − −` |
| M | `− −` | Z | `− − · ·` |

The ITU recommendation also defines an accented `é` and a set of punctuation marks and operational signals. They are useful later, but they are outside this A–Z beginner chart and outside the flashcard deck described below.

## Morse code numbers 0–9

Every digit contains five signals. Once the pattern becomes visible, this part of the chart stops looking like ten unrelated answers.

| Number | Morse code | Pattern cue |
| :---: | :---: | --- |
| 0 | `− − − − −` | five dahs |
| 1 | `· − − − −` | one dit, then four dahs |
| 2 | `· · − − −` | two dits, then three dahs |
| 3 | `· · · − −` | three dits, then two dahs |
| 4 | `· · · · −` | four dits, then one dah |
| 5 | `· · · · ·` | five dits |
| 6 | `− · · · ·` | one dah, then four dits |
| 7 | `− − · · ·` | two dahs, then three dits |
| 8 | `− − − · ·` | three dahs, then two dits |
| 9 | `− − − − ·` | four dahs, then one dit |

From `1` through `5`, one more leading dit replaces a dah at each step. From `6` through `9`, the run starts with more dahs and ends with fewer dits. `0` completes the sequence with five dahs.

That structure is a useful check, not a substitute for recall. If you hear a digit and have to walk through the entire number row to identify it, the ordered chart is still acting as a prompt. Random practice removes that prompt.

## Dits, dahs, and the timing that creates each character

A **dit** is the short signal represented by a dot. A **dah** is the long signal represented by a dash. On paper, `· −` and `− ·` differ only in order. In sound, they are two compact rhythmic shapes.

The ITU timing rules use the duration of one dit as the basic unit:

| Part of the signal | Duration |
| --- | :---: |
| dit | 1 unit |
| dah | 3 units |
| silence between dits and dahs inside one character | 1 unit |
| silence between characters | 3 units |
| silence between words | 7 units |

So `A` is one short signal, one unit of silence, then one long signal. The gap after that complete `A` is three units before the next character begins. A word boundary is longer again at seven units.

This is why replacing audio with the spoken phrase “dot dash” gives only part of the answer. The printed symbols show order and relative length. They do not train recognition of a complete sound, the gaps between characters and words, or a continuous stream of signals.

Keep the chart for verification. Let audio teach the auditory form.

## What 72 two-way Morse code flashcards teach

The free [Morse Code Flashcards: A–Z and 0–9 in Both Directions](/catalog/packages/morse-code-alphabet-numbers/) deck contains 72 cards under a CC0 1.0 dedication. The count is deliberate:

```text
36 characters × 2 recall directions = 72 cards
```

One direction asks for the printed pattern from a letter or digit. The other shows a printed pattern and asks for the character. The sequence is mixed rather than alphabetical or numeric, so the previous card does not simply announce the next answer.

| Card direction | What it trains | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| character → pattern | visual encoding of a character | `G` → `− − ·` |
| pattern → character | visual decoding of a printed pattern | `· · −` → `U` |

Both directions are useful. Character-to-pattern recall helps when you need to write or check a mapping. Pattern-to-character recall helps with printed Morse and visual decoding. Mixing them also exposes a common gap: recognizing `− · ·` as D does not guarantee that you can produce D from memory.

The scope is deliberately narrow. The deck has no audio, punctuation, prosigns, timing exercises, words, callsigns, mnemonics, cut numbers, or sending/key technique. It trains the exact visual mappings of 36 individual characters, not Morse reception or transmission.

For a licensing-focused study plan, the separate [Ham Radio Technician flashcards guide](/blog/ham-radio-technician-flashcards/) explains how Morse practice fits alongside the current U.S. Technician question pool. The alphabet deck itself is not an exam simulator or a complete CW course.

## Learn both directions without memorizing the chart's order

An alphabet chart is excellent for lookup and surprisingly good at lending you answers. If B always follows A, or `4` always sits above `5`, location and sequence can carry recall that the character itself has not earned.

Use the deck in three passes:

1. **Check the mapping.** Retrieve the answer first, then use the chart to correct it. Repeat the corrected pattern so a guess does not become the rehearsal.
2. **Retrieve in one direction.** Answer character-to-pattern cards without tracing the alphabet or number sequence. Grade the exact order, not merely the right number of elements.
3. **Reverse it.** Answer pattern-to-character cards without first converting the pattern into a mnemonic sentence. The printed shape should lead to one character.

When a card fails, classify the failure before adding more repetition:

| What happened | Likely problem | Focused repair |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You knew the right signals but reversed them | order | compare the original and reversed pattern side by side |
| You dropped or added one signal | length | count once while correcting, then retrieve the whole pattern again |
| You can decode but cannot encode | one-way familiarity | practice the missing character-to-pattern direction |
| You can encode but cannot decode | one-way familiarity | practice the missing pattern-to-character direction |
| You answer correctly only in alphabetic order | sequence dependence | shuffle the set and start from unrelated characters |
| You know the picture but miss the sound | modality gap | stop adding visual cards and practice the same set as audio |

The editing principle is the same one used in [How to Make Better Flashcards](/blog/how-to-make-better-flashcards/): one clear prompt, one gradeable retrieval target. A giant card asking for the entire alphabet rewards recitation. Thirty-six smaller mappings show exactly which character failed.

## Repair confusable patterns instead of drilling everything again

Some errors come in pairs. The useful repair is not another full run through all 72 cards; it is a small contrast that makes the difference explicit.

Start with pairs that look similar or reverse their order:

| Pair | Written patterns | Difference to retrieve |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A / N | `· −` / `− ·` | short-long versus long-short |
| U / D | `· · −` / `− · ·` | dah at the end versus at the start |
| V / B | `· · · −` / `− · · ·` | one dah at opposite ends |
| W / G | `· − −` / `− − ·` | one dit at opposite ends |
| R / K | `· − ·` / `− · −` | alternating pattern, different first signal |
| F / L | `· · − ·` / `· − · ·` | the dah moves one position |

Then use a short repair loop:

1. Put only the confused pair in front of you.
2. Produce each printed pattern from its character.
3. Decode each pattern back to the character.
4. Listen to both complete sounds in random order.
5. Return the pair to a larger mixed set.

Step 4 matters. A visual contrast can repair a visual error while leaving the auditory confusion untouched. For sound, compare complete character rhythms rather than counting isolated elements indefinitely.

For digits, use a few clear anchors. `4` is four dits and one dah; `6` is one dah and four dits. `5` is all dits, while `0` is all dahs. Once those anchors are reliable, mix all ten so the sequence cannot answer for you.

## Build the sound-first bridge from day one

ARRL's [Tips for Learning Morse Code (CW)](https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Morse/LearningMorseCode.pdf) tells beginners to learn each character as a sound and avoid writing dots and dashes while listening. It recommends Farnsworth practice: characters are sent at 15 words per minute with wider spacing between them, and that spacing is reduced after the characters are learned.

You do not have to choose between that advice and a visual deck. Give each tool a separate job.

### Stage 1: pair a small character set with audio

Choose a CW trainer, recording, class, or practice partner that can present the same small set in random order. Hear the entire character, answer with the letter or digit, and replay misses. Use the chart only after answering.

At the same time, study those mappings in the two visual directions. This makes the notation readable without asking notation to impersonate sound practice.

Do not add more characters merely because you have seen every current card once. Expand the set when the existing sounds remain distinguishable after shuffling.

### Stage 2: stop translating through dots and dashes

When audio plays, answer with the character. If the internal route is “short, long, therefore A,” the written code is still sitting between the sound and the answer.

In the Farnsworth method ARRL describes, the character itself stays at 15 words per minute while wider gaps provide more response time. After the characters are learned, reduce the spacing between them. This keeps each character's internal 1:3 timing intact instead of stretching it into disconnected beeps.

Keep visual reviews, but do them in their own block. During listening, do not open the printed chart until after the attempt.

### Stage 3: mix known characters and log exact confusions

Randomize the full learned set. Record `A/N`, `U/D`, or whatever pair actually failed instead of writing “Morse was bad today.” Repair that pair in audio, then check its written mapping with the deck.

A small error log can use three columns:

| Heard | Answered | Correct |
| :---: | :---: | :---: |
| `A` sound | N | A |
| `U` sound | D | U |

The log does not need scores or a speed forecast. Its job is to choose the next contrast.

### Stage 4: move from isolated characters to groups

Single-character recognition is the base layer. Real reception continues after each answer. Once a mixed character set is stable enough to follow, listen to short random groups without pausing after every item. Add spaces and then simple words through the audio tool or partner.

The 72-card deck ends at individual visual mappings. Group copying, words, callsigns, punctuation, prosigns, and live signals all require practice outside it.

### Stage 5: keep sending as a separate feedback problem

Character-to-pattern cards can test whether you know what to send. They cannot evaluate spacing, rhythm, key adjustment, hand movement, or the signal another operator receives. Use monitored sending practice and qualified feedback when transmission becomes part of the goal.

## A practical combined session

You can run the visual and auditory tracks together without mixing their grading rules:

1. **Review a small visual set.** Give the exact pattern before revealing it.
2. **Listen to the same learned character set.** Answer with characters, not written dot-dash strings.
3. **Capture one concrete confusion.** Choose the pair or length error that repeated.
4. **Repair it in both modalities.** Contrast the printed patterns, then listen in random order.
5. **Finish with an uninterrupted audio group.** Keep going when one character is missed instead of freezing the whole stream.

Add new characters only when the session still leaves room for mixed listening. Otherwise the visual deck can grow while the sound set stays permanently behind it.

Start with the [72-card Morse code deck](/catalog/packages/morse-code-alphabet-numbers/) and keep a separate audio source open alongside it. The deck supplies the written mappings; listening practice supplies the sounds and timing.

## Morse code alphabet FAQ

### Is this the complete International Morse code alphabet?

It is the complete A–Z and 0–9 subset defined in ITU-R M.1677-1: 26 basic Latin letters and ten figures. The full recommendation also includes accented `é`, punctuation, miscellaneous signs, and operational provisions that are outside this beginner chart.

### Are Morse code dots and dashes the same length?

No. Under the ITU timing ratios, a dah lasts three times as long as a dit. Silence inside a character lasts one dit unit, silence between characters lasts three, and silence between words lasts seven.

### Do the Morse code flashcards include audio?

No. The free deck has 72 visual-recall cards covering 36 characters in two directions. It does not contain audio or timing exercises. Pair it with a CW audio source from the beginning if listening is your goal.

### Should I learn Morse code from a chart first?

Use the chart to verify exact written mappings. For visual decoding, the chart and two-way cards are directly useful. For receiving CW, begin sound practice on day one so each character develops as an auditory pattern rather than only a picture you translate.

### How should I memorize Morse code numbers?

Learn the five-signal structure, then practice digits in random order. `1` through `5` add leading dits; `6` through `9` add leading dahs; `0` is five dahs. Random recall shows whether you know a digit without walking through the row.

### Can visual flashcards make me fluent at receiving CW?

No. They can make character-pattern mappings easier to retrieve and expose exact visual confusions. Fluent reception also requires repeated listening to complete character sounds, groups, spacing, and eventually realistic transmissions.

## Keep the chart, cards, and sound in their own lanes

Use the **Morse code chart** when you need a correct reference. Use the free two-way deck when you want A–Z and 0–9 visual mappings to become reliable in either direction. Use audio from day one when the goal is to receive CW rather than decode ink.

Start with a small shared character set, repair the pairs you genuinely confuse, and keep moving from isolated sounds toward groups. The chart tells you what each character contains. Listening practice teaches you to hear it as one character.

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