Morse Code Numbers

Morse code numbers use five marks each. The pattern runs in order from 1 to 5 and then flips, which makes the whole set easy to memorize once you see the shape.

The digits from 0 to 9

The five-mark rule

Every digit is exactly five marks long. From 1 to 5 the number of leading dots grows by one: 1 is .----, 2 is ..---, and 5 is ..... From 6 to 0 the leading mark becomes a dash instead: 6 is -...., 7 is --..., and 0 is -----.

Two digits are pure: 5 is all dots and 0 is all dashes. Those are the anchors. If you know them, the rest of the set is a count toward one end or the other.

Reading numbers by shape

Several pairs are mirror images, which makes them a useful study group:

• 1 (.----) and 9 (----.) trade one dot and one dash.
• 2 (..---) and 8 (---..) sit at opposite ends of the same pattern.
• 3 (...--) and 7 (--...) do the same.
• 4 (....-) and 6 (-....) are the final pair.

Learn each pair together and check the order. Mixing up 2 and 8 changes a time or a coordinate, so slow down when a number matters.

Numbers in real messages

Operators send digits for times, frequencies, call signs and positions. In a radio message the numbers often carry the part that cannot be guessed from context, which is why they deserve separate practice from letters.

How to practice

Send digits in groups of five, the convention used in radiograms, then read each group back without writing the individual marks. Type a group into the Morse code translator and play it, or decode a row of dots and dashes back into digits.

The drill on this page plays one digit at a time. Press the key, choose what you heard, and its five marks appear under the answer.

Once the digits are solid, move to punctuation and then to whole messages. The Morse code alphabet page covers the letter patterns that numbers are usually mixed with.

Frequently asked questions