What is Y in Morse code?

Y is dash, dot, dash, dash (−·−−). Together with J and Q it is one of the three longest letters, and of the three it is the most common in English, so it is worth practising early.

How do I tell Y from C in Morse code?

Both start with dah-di-dah, so wait for the last element: C ends on a dit (−·−·), Y on a dah. If you write too soon, you will swap them now and then.

What did Y look like in American Morse?

American landline Morse sent Y as ·· ··, two pairs of dots with a space between them. The international code has no such spaced letters, and Y took its present, dash-heavy form.

The Letter Y in Morse Code

Y is −·−−: one short di and 3 long dahs, dah-di-dah-dah. It lasts 13 units.

−·−−dah-di-dah-dah

Y drawn to time: 13 units, then a 3-unit gap before the next letter.

SpeedSlow · 8 WPMNormal · 18 WPMFast · 25 WPM

Facts about Y

Code: −·−− · dah-di-dah-dah
Elements: 4 — one dot, 3 dashes
Length: 13 units + 3 before the next letter
Time: 0.78 s at 20 WPM · 1.95 s at 8 WPM
Tree: T → N → K → Y · a leaf: no sign below it
Frequency: 1.66% of English letters, 19th of 26²
Koch order: 20th sign of the course
Spelling: Yankee
Same signal: Ы in Russian Morse · Υ in Greek Morse · ケ in Wabun

§ 1Don’t confuse Y with

Ythis letterdah-di-dah-dah
Wone element shorterdi-dah-dah
Kone element shorterdah-di-dah
Oone element shorterdah-dah-dah
Xelement 3 differsdah-di-di-dah
Clast element differsdah-di-dah-dit
Lmirror: every di and dah swappeddi-dah-di-dit
Qreversed: the same elements back to frontdah-dah-di-dah

Blue marks the elements that differ from Y.

§ 2How to remember Y

YEL-low YO-YO (−·−−) — Y mirrors L (·−··): every dit of L is a dah in Y, and every dah a dit.

§ 3Words with Y

§ 4Questions about Y

What is Y in Morse code?: Y is dash, dot, dash, dash (−·−−). Together with J and Q it is one of the three longest letters, and of the three it is the most common in English, so it is worth practising early.
How do I tell Y from C in Morse code?: Both start with dah-di-dah, so wait for the last element: C ends on a dit (−·−·), Y on a dah. If you write too soon, you will swap them now and then.
What did Y look like in American Morse?: American landline Morse sent Y as ·· ··, two pairs of dots with a space between them. The international code has no such spaced letters, and Y took its present, dash-heavy form.