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Cipher Cove

Learn Morse Code

Listen to a letter and press the one you heard. You start with just two letters, and a new one unlocks when you know the set. A few minutes a day adds up.

Letters 2 of 36Next letter: 0 right, need 18 of 20Today 0/20Streak 0

Speed

How the trainer works

  1. Press Start and listen. The light flashes along with the sound.
  2. Press the letter you heard, or type it on your keyboard.
  3. The next letter plays on its own. If you were wrong, you see the right answer first.
  4. Get 18 of 20 right, and a new letter joins the set.

Answer 20 times in a day to keep your daily streak going. That takes only a few minutes.

Tips for learning faster

  • Do not count. Hear the rhythm of the whole letter, like a tune. K is "dah di dah", not "dash dot dash".
  • Say it the operator's way. Dots are "dit" and dashes are "dah", which trains your ear better than saying dot and dash.
  • Do not look it up. A wrong answer teaches you more than a chart does, and the right answer appears anyway.
  • Keep sessions short. Five focused minutes every day beats an hour once a week.
  • Try the faster speed early. At 20 words per minute, letters are too quick to count, and that forces your ear to learn their sound.

Why Morse code still matters

Amateur radio operators use it to reach across the world on low power, and it is a useful backup skill for hikers and sailors. SOS can be sent with a flashlight, a whistle or a tap on a wall. It is also a good mental workout, and a fun way to pass notes.

When you are ready, read the full Morse code alphabet, use the Morse code translator to hear your own messages, or test yourself against the clock in Cipher Sprint.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to learn Morse code?

Learn by sound, not by reading dots and dashes. Experienced operators recognize a whole letter by its rhythm, so counting dots slows you down. This trainer uses that idea: you hear a letter at a good speed and answer right away, starting with only two letters.

How long does it take to learn Morse code?

It varies with practice. Short daily sessions tend to work better than long, rare ones, and the alphabet comes in small steps here, so you only ever learn one new letter at a time.

When do I get a new letter?

When you get 18 of your last 20 answers right. The progress counter shows where you are, and it starts over each time a letter unlocks.

What is the Koch method?

It is a way of learning Morse devised by the German psychologist Ludwig Koch in the 1930s. You practice at full speed from the first day with two characters, and add one character each time you reach about 90 percent. The letters here follow a commonly used Koch order.

Why does the light flash?

The light flashes in time with the sound. It gives you another way to follow along, which helps with wireless headphones that delay the audio, or when your sound is off.

Why does replay sound slower?

Each replay of the same letter plays a little slower, so you can catch what you missed. Try to answer on the first play, because that is the skill you are building.

Where is my progress saved?

In this browser, with no account. Clearing site data or changing device starts you over from two letters.

More translators and charts

Escape the CoveA free online escape room. Crack eight coded locks to get out of the lighthouse.Code BreakerCrack the secret code with logic. A new vault every day.Cipher SprintDecode as many words as you can in 60 seconds, from Caesar shifts to binary.