What is F in Morse code?

F is two dots, a dash and a dot (··−·). Its single dash sits in third place, and that position is what separates it from L, R and U on a first listening.

How do I stop mixing up F and U?

U (··−) is F without its final dot. When you hear di-di-dah, wait a beat before writing: a closing dit turns the U into an F.

What does FB mean in Morse code?

FB stands for fine business, the radio amateur’s way of saying excellent or well done. You will hear it in friendly contacts, often in a phrase like FB OM, roughly great work, old man.

The Letter F in Morse Code

F is ··−·: 3 short dis and one long dah, di-di-dah-dit. It lasts 9 units.

··−·di-di-dah-dit

F drawn to time: 9 units, then a 3-unit gap before the next letter.

SpeedSlow · 8 WPMNormal · 18 WPMFast · 25 WPM

Facts about F

Code: ··−· · di-di-dah-dit
Elements: 4 — 3 dots, one dash
Length: 9 units + 3 before the next letter
Time: 0.54 s at 20 WPM · 1.35 s at 8 WPM
Tree: E → I → U → F · a leaf: no sign below it
Frequency: 2.4% of English letters, 15th of 26²
Koch order: 18th sign of the course
Spelling: Foxtrot
Same signal: Ф in Russian Morse · Φ in Greek Morse · チ in Wabun

§ 1Don’t confuse F with

Fthis letterdi-di-dah-dit
Sone element shorterdi-di-dit
Uone element shorterdi-di-dah
Rone element shorterdi-dah-dit
Helement 3 differsdi-di-di-dit
Pelement 2 differsdi-dah-dah-dit
Cfirst element differsdah-di-dah-dit
Qmirror: every di and dah swappeddah-dah-di-dah
Lreversed: the same elements back to frontdi-dah-di-dit

Blue marks the elements that differ from F.

§ 2How to remember F

fun-da-MEN-tal (··−·) — F reversed is L (·−··), so mark where the dah sits: third in F, second in L.

§ 3Words with F

§ 4Questions about F

What is F in Morse code?: F is two dots, a dash and a dot (··−·). Its single dash sits in third place, and that position is what separates it from L, R and U on a first listening.
How do I stop mixing up F and U?: U (··−) is F without its final dot. When you hear di-di-dah, wait a beat before writing: a closing dit turns the U into an F.
What does FB mean in Morse code?: FB stands for fine business, the radio amateur’s way of saying excellent or well done. You will hear it in friendly contacts, often in a phrase like FB OM, roughly great work, old man.