How to Learn Morse Code
Learn Morse code by ear, one sign at a time. Start with two signs, K and M, sent at full letter speed with longer gaps between them. Add the next sign each time you copy 90% of a session. Ten to fifteen minutes a day takes most learners to 15 WPM in a few months.
Lesson 1: K and M
K is dah-di-dah, M is dah-dah. Press Start, listen for one minute and type each sign you hear. Mistakes are fine: they show you what to listen for.
Letters at full speed, longer gaps between them.
Three sessions in a row under 70%. Lower the overall speed for a while, and keep the letter speed.
| Sign | Sent | Right |
|---|
- Sent
- You typed
§ 1Learn the sound, not the chart
A chart teaches you to count dots, and counting is too slow. At 20 WPM a dot lasts 60 ms; you cannot count that, but you can recognise it, as you recognise a word.
So learn each sign as a sound. Say it in syllables, di-dah for A, and never translate it into dots in your head.
§ 2Koch and Farnsworth
Ludwig Koch’s method starts with two signs at full speed and adds one at a time. The Farnsworth timing keeps each letter fast and stretches the gaps, so you have time to answer.2
The practice room follows the order LCWO.net uses: K, M, U, R, E, S and on to 41 signs. The next sign joins when you copy 90% of a session of at least 100 signs.
§ 3Ten minutes a day
Short sessions every day beat a long one each week. Two or three sessions of five minutes keep your attention fresh; stop when your copy gets worse, not when you are tired.
§ 4A plan by week
Weeks 1–2: the first eight signs. Expect several sessions on each; that is normal.
Weeks 3–8: the rest of the letters. When a new sign joins, it comes more often at first.
After that: figures and punctuation, then raise the overall speed towards 15 WPM. Start keying in the Send mode once you know a dozen signs.
§ 5Mistakes beginners make
Learning from the chart first. You will have to unlearn the counting.
Slowing the letters down. A letter at 5 WPM sounds like a different signal; keep it at 20 and slow the gaps instead.
Stopping on a missed sign. Leave a gap and catch the next one; the score shows you which signs need work.
§ 6How long to 15 WPM
An estimate, not a promise: 40 steps of the course, about 45 minutes of practice each. Some signs take you longer, some go in one session.