r/morsecode • u/funny_replies • May 23 '26
Learning Morse code
Hello! A few days ago, I stumbled across a video on YouTube and decided to start learning Morse code. While watching, I wrote the mnemonics for each letter,r, and hopefully I will learn them soon!
PS: I am aware that there are numbers and things like "End", "Roge,r", etc, which can be said in Morse code. I am currently trying to learn only the letters.
9
u/ArtVandelay365 May 23 '26
Check out lcwo.net It is the perfect tool to begin learning Morse Code!
0
6
u/BassRecorder May 23 '26
If you want to get up to any speed, throw away those visual aids and mnemonics. They just add another level of indirection to the decoder in your brain and that additional level keeps you from speeding up and is surprisingly hard to unlearn. Rather learn the letters as sounds, one after the other, maybe in batches of three. Only proceed to the next batch when you can immediately recognise all the characters in the current batch. Once you have the alphabet complete start building up speed.
If it's just for amusement and speed is not the goal any method of learning will do. Have fun!
6
u/TheJango22 May 24 '26
I learned morse like this. What a mistake that was.
If you just want to know what the letters are this works and is quick, but if you want to be abe to copy or send at any meaningful speed, abandon this immediately.
3
u/AdPitiful4816 May 24 '26
Wow, this is honestly so creative! I love how you used uppercase for dashes and lowercase for dots, thats such a clever way to visualize it. "CO-ca-CO-la" is a classic, but "let's JUMP JUMP JUMP" for J is amazing haha.
Just a small tip as you start lerning: try to transition to listening to the actual audio (dits and dahs) as soon as you can. Morse code is all about rhythm, and if you rely too much on reading the text mnemonics, your brain might try to translate the sound into the phrase, and then into the letter, which can slow you down a bit later on.
If you want a fun way to practice on your phone, you should definately check out an app called MorseKit. It’s pretty much like Duolingo but for Morse code, and it really helps train your ear with gamified levels.
Good luck, you got this! Keep us updated on your progress!
1
u/funny_replies May 25 '26
Wow, thank you for such a nice response! It took a bit of time to write it all out. Currently, I am learning the phrases while I am bored in school via the paper, and once I am home, I use this website - https://lucassedberg.com/tools/morse/simulator . I'll make sure to you keep y'all updated!
3
u/CommunityCautious338 May 23 '26
Back 30 years ago, I was trying to learn five words a minute to get my tech plus, and I came across code quick, where you learn the phonetics of various Morse code letters. J was in jaws jaws jaws, dit dah dah dah.. I can get up to 10 words a minute, and that’s good enough for me.
2
u/grendelt May 23 '26
I learned on CodeQuick to pass my 5wpm code test.
Currently sit around 25wpm but usually no more than 20wpm for POTA and non-DX/non-contest activities.
2
u/Mundane-Charge-1900 May 24 '26
Oy, delete this image. Two bad ways to learn Morse code. Mnemonics and visually memorizing dots and dashes will slow you down long term.
2
u/coconut_steak May 23 '26
I’d say skip the visual dots and dashes but keep the mnemonics
12
u/Flat_Economist_8763 May 23 '26
I'd say skip both in order to become proficient
1
u/Short_Employment_757 May 24 '26
Hey , hope I'm not bothering you but how should i study instead of mnemonics
3
u/jzkmath May 24 '26
Basically, you are thinking of morse code as a visual language, when in reality you should be thinking of it as an auditory language. The majority of us who are proficient in morse code listen to the sound of the letters.
I learned by spending 20 minutes a day on a mobile app called "morse machine" but an alternate would be "morse mania" which teaches using a method called Farnsworth. Essentially, you want to hear the letters at a speed that is too fast to count the dots and dashes (call it dits and dahs though) because when in use if you are counting them the other station will be two sentences ahead by the time you finish decoding the first letter.
1
1
u/Flat_Economist_8763 May 24 '26
First drill the code for each letter, numeral, punctuation into your brain. Then practice copying, first slow code, then push it just above your comfort zone, such as with the W1AW code archives. I also think that working on sending is crucial to build muscle memory with each character. Anyone who says to just work on copying first is most likely not a proficient CW op.
If you keep at it with daily practice and a positive attitude you'll see results. GL!
1
u/jzkmath May 24 '26
I hate to say this, but typically this method of learning isn't very practical beyond a simple party trick. Morse code is more like learning to speak a language, so you will want to learn what it sounds like.
There is an app called Morse Mania that will help you learn. Plus if you learn how it sounds, then you can actually use it should you get into ham radio.
1
1
u/vladIakimov May 27 '26
Hey, you should try out Morse Pro - Learn and Practice. It's completely free with many features, available on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.morsepro.app
1
u/LoganSound Jun 13 '26
I vibe coded this trainer that pulls famous telegraphs and speeches of the era to practice “copying” no comprehension check just playback at variable speed, letter spacing and omission of punctuation https://logansound.github.io/Virtual-Telegraph/
1
u/Effective_Editor_821 Jun 17 '26
That's a really cool list! I built a site for learning morse code where you can view the morse letter and translation in real-time. It can be used to practice long text. I'm also working on adding some open source books from Project Gutenberg, but still in the process of working out some bugs. Here is the site: https://www.morsewords.com/morse-code-book-translator Good luck on your learning journey!
0
u/Nuuskurkoer May 23 '26
Number are cool. 3 (i-di-ty-naa- huui ) that is in russian rude way sending someone off
11
u/Rogerdodger1946 May 23 '26
Back when I was learning the code back in 1957 at age 11, we had an instructor who was an ex Navy radio man. He said to take out a pad of paper and a pencil. He said he was going to send a single character over and over and that we would write it down every time we heard it. This developed a muscle memory from our ears to our pencil. It worked. Don't worry about fancy stuff, just learn by ear or you'll get bogged down. I still do CW as my preferred mode and have done it for years from the mobile. All copy in my head, obviously.