Morse Code Game

How to play the Morse code game

Morse code sends letters as short and long signals: the dot (dit) and the dash (dah). A dash lasts as long as three dots. You don't need to know any code to start, because the game shows every signal until you choose a level that hides it.

• Tap: Send the character on screen with the key. A quick press is a dot. Hold until the bar fills for a dash. You begin with SOS (... --- ...). On a computer, hold Space or use the . and - keys.
• Read: Pick the letter that matches a signal from four choices. Easy shows the code on every answer. Hard hides it, so you only get the light and sound.
• Decode: A word appears in code. Find each letter on the keys, then use the hint and the letters so far to guess the rest. On a computer you can type the letters. Hard removes the code from the keys.
• Daily: One new coded word every day, the same for everyone.

No sound where you are? Turn it off with the speaker button and keep playing with the light and the code. Open Settings to add numbers, change the speed, or use separate dot and dash buttons.

Morse code alphabet and numbers

The international Morse code for A to Z and 0 to 9. You can also open this chart during a game and press any character to hear it.

• A.-
• B-...
• C-.-.
• D-..
• E.
• F..-.
• G--.
• H....
• I..
• J.---
• K-.-
• L.-..
• M--
• N-.
• O---
• P.--.
• Q--.-
• R.-.
• S...
• T-
• U..-
• V...-
• W.--
• X-..-
• Y-.--
• Z--..
• 1.----
• 2..---
• 3...--
• 4....-
• 5.....
• 6-....
• 7--...
• 8---..
• 9----.
• 0-----

Morse code timing

The rhythm is what makes code readable. If one dot is one unit, a dash is 3 units, the gap inside a letter is 1 unit, the gap between letters is 3 units, and the gap between words is 7 units.

How to learn Morse code faster

• Start short. E and T are a single signal, and A, I, M and N are only two. In Tap and Read, Easy uses just the letters with three signals or fewer.
• Listen instead of counting. Try to hear each letter as one rhythm, not as a row of dots and dashes. Read on Hard trains exactly that.
• Practice little and often. A few rounds a day work well. The game brings back the letters you missed more often, and a check mark in the chart shows each one you have learned.

What does SOS mean?

SOS is the international distress signal: three dots, three dashes, three dots. It was chosen because it is easy to send and hard to mistake, and the letters don't stand for anything. "Save our souls" came later.

Is Morse code the same in every language?

No. Other writing systems have their own codes, and the same signal can mean something else in them. In Japanese Wabun code, .- is the kana "i" rather than A. You can try it in the Japanese version of this game.