What is L in Morse code?

L is a dot, a dash and two dots (·−··). Its dah comes second, right after the opening dit, and the two quick dits that follow are what you listen for.

How do I send L without it turning into two letters?

Keep every gap inside the letter as short as a dot. If you pause after the dah, the listener hears A (·−) followed by I (··) instead of one L.

What did L sound like in American Morse?

In American landline Morse, L was a single long dash, held longer than T. The international code replaced it with ·−··, so the long dash is heard today mostly in demonstrations of the old telegraph.

The Letter L in Morse Code

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

·−··di-dah-di-dit

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

SpeedSlow · 8 WPMNormal · 18 WPMFast · 25 WPM

Facts about L

Code: ·−·· · di-dah-di-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 → A → R → L · a leaf: no sign below it
Frequency: 4.07% of English letters, 10th of 26²
Koch order: 11th sign of the course
Spelling: Lima
Same signal: Л in Russian Morse · Λ in Greek Morse · カ in Wabun

§ 1Don’t confuse L with

Lthis letterdi-dah-di-dit
Sone element shorterdi-di-dit
Rone element shorterdi-dah-dit
Done element shorterdah-di-dit
Helement 2 differsdi-di-di-dit
Pelement 3 differsdi-dah-dah-dit
Zfirst element differsdah-dah-di-dit
Ymirror: every di and dah swappeddah-di-dah-dah
Freversed: the same elements back to frontdi-di-dah-dit

Blue marks the elements that differ from L.

§ 2How to remember L

a LOL-li-pop (·−··) — L is R (·−·) with one more dit at the end, and F (··−·) is L read backwards.

§ 3Words with L

§ 4Questions about L

What is L in Morse code?: L is a dot, a dash and two dots (·−··). Its dah comes second, right after the opening dit, and the two quick dits that follow are what you listen for.
How do I send L without it turning into two letters?: Keep every gap inside the letter as short as a dot. If you pause after the dah, the listener hears A (·−) followed by I (··) instead of one L.
What did L sound like in American Morse?: In American landline Morse, L was a single long dash, held longer than T. The international code replaced it with ·−··, so the long dash is heard today mostly in demonstrations of the old telegraph.