Morse Code Memory Aid

Morse code was invented in 1837 by Samuel Morse. Morse code is a very early digital telecommunications method. The code consists of short dits • and longer dahs –. The combination of the dits and dahs forms letters.

Initially, telegraphers used Morse code over long wire lines that crossed continents and, eventually, the world. With the invention of radio transceivers, telegraphers communicated over the radio spectrum using Morse code.

Morse code is in use today by enthusiasts. Its use on the radio is preferred when users are transmitting over long distances with very little power. Morse code is a language that must be memorised and conceptualised to communicate at higher speeds. A good explanation of Morse code may be found in this Wikipedia article.

Tables

Letters

Character	Morse Code	Mnemonic
A, a	• –	A-PART
B, b	– • • •	BOOT to the head
C, c	– • – •	COca-COla
D, d	– • •	DOCK wor-ker
E, e	•	EH!
F, f	• • – •	Get a HAIRcut
G, g	– – •	GOOD GRAvy
H, h	• • • •	hippity hop
I, i	• •	Aye-Aye
J, j	• – – –	let’s JUMP JUMP JUMP
K, k	– • –	KANGaROO
L, l	• – • •	to ‘ELL with it
M, m	– –	Mmm-Mmm
N, n	– •	NAVy
O, o	– – –	ONE OF US
P, p	• – – •	a POOPY smell
Q, q	– – • –	GOD SAVE the QUEEN
R, r	• – •	roTATion
S, s	• • •	Sí Sí Sí
T, t	–	TALL
U, u	• • –	UnderWEAR
V, v	• • • –	dum dum dum DUMM
W, w	• – –	a WHITE WHALE
X, x	– • • –	X marks the SPOT
Y, y	– • – –	YELlow YO-YO
Z, z	– – • •	ZSA ZSA did it

Numbers

Character	Morse Code
1	• – – – –
2	• • – – –
3	• • • – –
4	• • • • –
5	• • • • •
6	– • • • •
7	– – • • •
8	– – – • •
9	– – – – •
0	– – – – –

Punctuation

Character	Morse Code	Mnemonic
comma [,]	– – • • – –	COMMA it’s a COMMA
period [.]	• – • – • –	a STOP a STOP a STOP
question [?]	• • – – • •	it’s a QUES-TION, is it?
colon [:]	– – – • • •	HA-WA-II stan-dard time
slash [/]	– • • – •	SHAVE and a HAIR-cut
quote [“]	• – • • – •	six-TY-six nine-TY-nine
apostrophe [‘]	• – – – – •	and THIS STUFF GOES TO me!
semicolon [;]	– • – • – •	A-list, B-list, C-list
left paren [(]	– • – – •	AU-tumn HOLE-IN-one!
right paren [)]	– • – – • –	AU-tumn A-LOU-et-TUH
ampersand [&]	• – • • •	one AND an-oth-er
minus [-]	– • • • • –	DIP ho-li-day-inn DIP
plus [+]	• – • – •	hey! CHAR-lie’s AN-gels
equal [=]	– • • • –	AU-tumn u-ni-FORM
underscore [–]	• • – – • –	bom-bay DIP POUND for POUND
dollar [$]	• • • – • • –	ne-va-da ON-ly the BONES
at [@]	• – – • – •	al-FA CHAR-lie’s AN-gels
exclaimation [!]	– • – • – –	roTATion a WHITE WHALE

Foreign Characters

Character	Morse Code	Mnemonic
À, à, Å, å	• – – • –
Ä, ä, Ą, ą, Æ, æ	• – • –
Ć, ć, Ĉ, ĉ, Ç, ç, Š, š	– • – • •
CH, ch	– – – –	(he) gives us bread
Ð, ð	• • – – •
É, é, Ę, ę, Đ, đ	• • – • •
È, è, Ł, ł	• – • • – •
Ĝ, ĝ	– – • – •
Ĵ, ĵ	• – – – •
Ĥ, ĥ	– • – – •
Ö, ö, Ó, ó, Ø, ø	– – – •
Ń, ń, Ñ, ñ	– – • – –
Ü, ü, Ŭ, ŭ	• • – –
Þ, þ	• – – • •
Ŝ, ŝ	• • • – •

Prosigns

Character	Morse Code	Mnemonic
start new line (A̅A̅)	• – • –
new page signal (A̅R̅)	• – • – •
wait (A̅S̅)	• – • • •
start of new section (B̅T̅)	– • • • –
start of transmission (C̅T̅)	– • – • –
end of work (S̅K̅)	• • • – • –
error (H̅H̅)	• • • • • • • •
invitation to transmit (K̅)	– • –
starting signal (K̅A̅)	– • – • –
Invitation for the named station to transmit (K̅N̅)	– • – – •
understood (S̅N̅)	• • • – •
start of distress signal (S̅O̅S̅)	• • • – – – • • •